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Beloved Hybrid Friends…… (wink) Throughout many of my “psychic and intuitive community” friends….. you'll find many extraterrestrial “experiencers” who have been waiting for this moment of vindication. Mark my word, we are at a brink of yet another huge hidden revelation in human history. Governments are admitting it. Whistleblowers are risking everything to expose it. It's not science fiction, and it's yet another form of manipulation....... The UAP Reality & Our Path ForwardFor a long time, talking about UFOs was a quick way to get sidelined in serious conversations.But the data has finally caught up with the rumors.Today, the U.S. government and the scientific community have rebranded these as UAPs—Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.And the consensus is shifting from ‘if' they exist to ‘what' they represent.We are witnessing the most significant paradigm shift in human history.”Defining the Phenomenon “So, what are we actually dealing with?In plain English, we're seeing objects that defy our known laws of physics.We aren't just talking about interplanetary travelers; we're exploring theories that range from beings from parallel dimensions to ancient intelligence that has been here all along.Some researchers even point to historical texts, like the Book of Enoch, suggesting that what we're seeing today might be a continuation of a very old story.”The Economic & Tech Revolution “Now, you might ask: ‘How does this change my daily life?'The answer lies in the propulsion systems.UAPs appear to operate on clean, limitless energy.If we can understand and replicate that, we're looking at the end of the fossil fuel era and the dawn of a post-scarcity society.We're already seeing the foundations of this ‘New Space Age' being built by private innovators.Take Vast, for example.By developing artificial gravity and scalable space stations, Vast is solving the logistical hurdles of living and working in orbit.They are essentially building the infrastructure we'll need to transition from a planet-bound species to a truly spacefaring one.They represent the human ‘bridge' to the high-tech reality that UAPs have already mastered.”The Disclosure Dilemma Of course, this brings up a tough question: if this tech is real, why has it been hidden?Whistleblowers suggest that the truth about recovered craft and ‘non-human' biologicals has been suppressed for decades—likely because free energy would disrupt the global economic status quo.We are currently in a tug-of-war between institutional secrecy and the public's right to know.”The Philosophical Shift This discovery forces us to re-evaluate everything.In Science: We may have to rewrite our physics textbooks from scratch.In Religion: We have to ask how our spiritual traditions expand to include other intelligences.In Society: We have to decide if we are ready to participate in a larger galactic or inter-dimensional neighborhood.”What Happens Next? The future likely holds one of two paths.We might see a ‘Controlled Disclosure,' where information is trickled out to maintain stability.Or, we could be headed for a ‘Technological Leap,' where private sector breakthroughs and government transparency collide to give us a world of free energy and near-instant travel.The ‘scary' part—the talk of genetic hybridization or ancient origins—is simply the unknown.And the best way to handle the unknown is through education and open dialogue.”The Bottom Line The UAP phenomenon isn't just a mystery in the sky; it's a mirror held up to humanity.It challenges us to move past our divisions and decide who we want to be as we step onto the cosmic stage.It's an invitation to be more curious, more demanding of the truth, and more united.I'm curious—when you look at the work being done by companies like Vast and compare it to the UAP mystery, do you see a future of hope or a reason for caution?Interesting times ahead friends!Love, Kassandra This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelightbetween.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode of the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast, Donna Peterson discusses a growing leadership issue inside companies using AI.Many teams are increasing speed. Fewer are defining direction.AI accelerates output, but without documented guardrails, it can quietly amplify misalignment across departments. When messaging, tone, and strategy drift, trust weakens, especially in long sales cycle B2B environments.Using a practical analogy from Olympic Super-G skiing, Donna explains why leaders must define the boundaries that keep teams aligned and moving efficiently toward the same goal.In This Episode:Why AI increases both speed and riskHow unclear direction creates internal driftThe leadership cost of repeating yourselfWhat true AI guardrails includeWhy monthly AI alignment meetings are essentialThe risk of layering new tools without structureHow shared templates improve consistencyThe connection between alignment and trustKey Leadership Insight:If you are repeating tone, mission, or positioning guidance across departments, it may not be a personnel issue. It may be a documentation issue.AI amplifies whatever structure exists.Without guardrails, inconsistency scales faster.With guardrails, trust compounds.Practical Action Steps. After listening, consider:Writing your company's WHY in one clear paragraph.Defining your tone in five specific words.Reviewing whether current AI outputs reflect that tone.Evaluating whether your team is aligned around shared templates.Scheduling a monthly AI alignment discussion if one does not exist.If this conversation resonates, the full episode provides detailed examples and implementation guidance you can apply immediately. Listen to the complete episode to understand how to build AI guardrails that protect your mission and strengthen long-term growth.If your organization is ready to bring structure and clarity to your AI implementation, we would welcome the opportunity to work with your leadership team. *** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.comif you'd like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.*** Visit www.worldinnovators.comfor more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.*** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.
In this episode of Storage Wins, Alex Pardo gets extremely tactical with Dan Wentzel, laying out what he calls the Daily Storage Playbook. This is where the journey moves from clarity into consistent execution—daily actions, weekly rhythms, and non-negotiables that turn intention into momentum. There's no magic here. No shortcuts. Just a clear, repeatable process that—when done consistently—creates opportunities, relationships, and eventually deals. This episode is designed to eliminate confusion and replace it with structure, discipline, and forward motion. You'll Learn How To: Build daily non-negotiables that actually move your storage business forward Create momentum even when deals aren't immediately materializing Focus on controllable actions instead of outcomes you can't control Turn consistency into confidence through repeatable daily habits Engineer progress through relationships, not random deal chasing What You'll Learn in This Episode: [2:15] Why clarity without a plan still leads to failure [3:25] Introducing the "Daily Storage Playbook" [6:58] Why deals don't appear—you earn them through reps [8:27] The danger of failing to plan and how it kills efficiency [9:06] Why progress—not results—is the real driver of happiness [10:19] Defining 3–5 daily non-negotiables for your storage business [11:21] How to measure success when outcomes are out of your control [50:57] The power of five meaningful conversations per day [52:23] What 100 meaningful conversations in 30 days can create [53:13] Why most people want the finish line—but not the work Who This Episode Is For: Aspiring storage investors who feel busy but not productive Listeners who struggle with consistency and follow-through Anyone unsure what to do daily to move closer to their first deal People ready to replace motivation with discipline Why You Should Listen: Most people don't fail because they lack knowledge—they fail because they lack structure. This episode removes ambiguity and gives you a simple, repeatable framework for showing up every day in your storage business. If you've ever asked, "What should I actually be doing right now?"—this episode answers that question. Follow Alex Pardo here: Alex Pardo Website: https://alexpardo.com/ Alex Pardo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexpardo15 Alex Pardo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexpardo25 Alex Pardo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexPardo Storage Wins Website: https://storagewins.com/ Have conversations with at least three storage owners, brokers, private lenders, or equity partners inside the Storage Wins Facebook Group. Join for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/322064908446514/
In this episode of The Addicted Mind, Duane speaks with Dr. Nima Rahmani, a former chiropractor turned emotional health educator. Dr. Nima shares his profound journey from "success on paper" to a total relational breakdown that forced him to confront his own deep-seated patterns of anxious attachment and fawning.They dive deep into the concept of becoming "trigger-proof," the hidden cost of people-pleasing, and why "shame alchemization" is the secret to a truly authentic life. Whether you are struggling with addiction, burnout, or toxic relationship cycles, this episode offers a roadmap for moving from unconscious reactivity to conscious leadership.Key Topics & Chapters[01:32] The Wake-Up Call: Dr. Nima discusses how a crisis in his personal life and a brush with the legal system forced him to look past his professional success and address his defensive reactivity.[03:54] The Cost of Fawning: A breakdown of the "Fawn" response—how suppressing your truth to appease others creates a "bottomless pit" of resentment and physical inflammation.[10:14] Defining the Fawn Response: Dr. Nima provides a powerful analogy of how children learn to appease "predators" (caregivers) to survive, and how that evolves into a destructive adult relationship strategy.[14:41] Somatic Impact: Exploring the link between unresolved emotional wounds, fawning, and chronic physical issues like autoimmune diseases and inflammation.[21:00] Loving the Shadow: Why true self-love isn't about liking your "best" parts, but about "unshaming" the parts of yourself you've tried to kill off or hide.[27:12] Success vs. Intimacy: Why high-achieving entrepreneurs often crush it in business but fail in relationships, and how the "push energy" of success can actually block emotional safety.[47:26] The Worthiness Inquiry: Dr. Nima shares a foundational question for listeners: "I am only worthy of love when..."[52:00] The Heartbeat Realization: A moving story about hearing his son's heartbeat and rediscovering the concept of inherent worthiness.Key Quotes"Shame alchemization is the secret to being a human... finding these embarrassing, unacceptable parts of us and really looking to understand them." — Dr. Nima Rahmani"Fawning is when you freeze a part of you in an interaction... you freeze your truth and then you perform niceness." — Dr. Nima Rahmani"One size fits all is not real. It's not real for baseball caps, and it's not real for recovery plans." — Dr. Nima Rahmani (Note: This is a callback to the theme of individualized healing)"The path to self-love is really about loving your shadow." — Dr. Nima RahmaniUnderstanding the Survival ResponsesTo better understand where "Fawning" fits into our biological safety system, it helps to see it alongside the more commonly known stress responses:Fight: Aggression and boundary-setting.Flight: Avoiding or escaping the threat.Freeze: Numbing out or becoming paralyzed.Fawn: Appeasing the threat to ensure safety.Resources MentionedThe Attachment Style Quiz: Discover if you are anxious, avoidant, or disorganized. [Link provided in bio/show notes]Recovery Demystified: Exploring "Quit Lit" and science-based recovery tools."Unshaming": The work of David Bedrick.About Dr. Nima RahmaniDr. Nima Rahmani is the founder of the Trigger-Proof methodology. He helps entrepreneurs and individuals heal attachment wounds to uplevel their capacity for love and leadership.Connect with Dr. Nima:Website:https://becometriggerproof.com/Instagram: @drnimaPrevious Interview With Dr. Nima RahmaniIf you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery CenterNovusMindfulLife.comWe want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmindDisclaimerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com Phil. 3: 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the [a]false circumcision; 3 for we are the true [b]circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: 2-6 Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they're interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it. We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. To understand the weight of Philippians 3:2-3, you have to imagine Paul writing from a prison cell, not with a sense of defeat, but with a sharp, protective urgency for his friends in Philippi. These verses represent one of the most famous "tone shifts" in the New Testament, moving from joy to a stern warning. 1. The Historical Background When Paul writes, "Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh," he isn't just being grumpy. He is addressing a specific group known as Judaizers. The Conflict The Judaizers were early Christians who argued that for a Gentile (non-Jew) to truly follow Christ, they first had to become Jewish by being circumcised and adhering to the Mosaic Law. The Term "Dogs": In the first century, "dogs" wasn't a cute term; it referred to scavengers. Ironically, Jews often used this term for "unclean" Gentiles. Paul flips the script, calling the legalists the "unclean" ones because they were trying to add human effort to a divine gift. The "Mutilators": Paul uses a Greek wordplay here. He contrasts peritome (circumcision) with katatome(mutilation). He's saying that if circumcision is done for the wrong reasons—as a requirement for salvation—it's nothing more than a physical wound with no spiritual value. 2. Defining the "True Circumcision" In verse 3, Paul redefines what it means to be the people of God. He lists three marks of a true believer that don't depend on physical lineage: Mark Meaning Worship by the Spirit Authentic worship isn't about following a ritual checklist; it's an internal prompting from God. Glory in Christ Jesus Our "boasting" or confidence is placed entirely in what Jesus did, not in our own resumes. No Confidence in the Flesh This means we stop trusting our background, our education, or our "goodness" to save us. 3. Application for Today While we aren't usually debating physical circumcision in modern life, the root issue—legalism versus grace—is still very much alive. Avoiding "Performance" Christianity It is human nature to want a "to-do list" to feel secure. Today, "the flesh" might look like: Thinking you are closer to God because you attend more services than others. Relying on your political stance or social activism as the source of your righteousness. Feeling "better" than others because of your specific lifestyle choices. Finding True Identity Paul's message to us today is a call to spiritual exhale. If our standing with God is based on Christ's performance and not ours, we are free from the "treadmill" of trying to earn God's favor. The takeaway: Religious rituals are fine as expressions of love, but they are "dogs" if they become the basis of our hope. Would you like me to look into the verses that immediately follow this, where Paul lists his own impressive "religious resume" only to call it "rubbish"?
AI tools are changing the pace at which organizations filter and rank candidates. However, matching someone to a job description and actually predicting whether they'll perform well in the role are two very different things. Most hiring processes have never been validated against real performance outcomes, and organizations often don't have a clear, measurable definition of what success looks like in a role. Without that foundation, even the most sophisticated AI is just automating something that was never evidence-based in the first place. So what would it actually take to build hiring processes that genuinely predict performance? My guest this week is Jennifer Yugo, Managing Director and owner of Corvitus, and an organizational psychologist specializing in evidence-based hiring. In our conversation, she explains the science behind predicting job performance and why most hiring processes are far from where they need to be. In the interview, we discuss: Matching candidates vs predicting performance Why most hiring lacks evidence Defining what success really looks like and identifying performance indicators Do some AI hiring tools stand up to scrutiny? The risks of automating bad decisions Questions TA leaders should ask vendors Are we going to see a reckoning for hiring technology? What might the future look like? Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Follow this podcast on Spotify.
Spencer Jakab is an award-winning Wall Street Journal investing columnist with 30 years of finance experience who transformed from emerging markets research director into a financial journalist exposing how everyday investors repeatedly get fleeced by Wall Street's latest schemes.Episode Sponsor: Fiscal AI is a modern data terminal that gives investors instant access to twenty years of financials, earnings transcripts, and extensive segment and KPI data—use my link for a two-week free trial plus 15% off: https://fiscal.ai/talkingbillions/03:00 - Spencer's origin story: Growing up in Queens as son of Hungarian refugees, discovering investing through Peter Lynch's "One Up On Wall Street" in college, despite his late father's unsuccessful attempts to spark his interest earlier.08:00 - The accidental career path: Taking every finance class at Columbia, landing in emerging markets analysis covering post-Iron Curtain privatizations, then pivoting to Wall Street Journal journalism after a chance plane conversation led to same-day writing test and job offer.15:00 - GameStop reality check: The meme stock phenomenon wasn't the democratizing revolution portrayed on social media—it was another example of retail investors getting manipulated while believing they were "sticking it to the man."25:00 - The casino-fication of investing: How Robinhood and app-based platforms gamified trading with confetti animations and frictionless execution, making speculation feel like a mobile game rather than serious wealth-building.35:00 - Why passive beats active: Spencer explains the brutal math—only 11% of active fund managers beat the market over 30 years, and individual investors perform even worse due to fees, taxes, and behavioral mistakes.45:00 - The finfluencer trap: Social media rewards reckless investing behavior because outrageous bets generate more engagement than boring, sensible advice—creating dangerous incentive structures that harm followers.60:00 - Bots and manipulation: Modern markets face new threats from AI-generated social media campaigns pumping meme coins and stocks, making it nearly impossible to distinguish genuine sentiment from coordinated manipulation.67:00 - Defining success: Spencer's powerful reflection on career choices—turning down potential hundreds of millions to do work he loves, echoing Warren Buffett's definition of success as having people genuinely care about you when you're gone.Podcast Program – Disclosure StatementBlue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm's employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.
Cheryl Platz, Cheryl Platz, former UX Director for Riot Games, Scopely and Author of "The Game Development Strategy Guide," returns to The Product Experience to explore how video game design principles can transform product development. From her time at Riot Games and Marvel Strike Force to teaching at Carnegie Mellon, Cheryl shares hard-won lessons about player motivation, onboarding, and building products that thrive. Discover why competition is no longer the primary driver of modern gaming, how a children's game taught her about gendered design assumptions, and how she turned a catastrophic server outage into a UX win that made Reddit happy.Chapters06:03 Game development is cloud services plus filmmaking07:08 The problem with silos in game studios08:24 “Modern” games: live service, messy business models, shifting tastes09:58 Defining a game: players decide if you got it right11:41 Motivators of play and why they matter to product people12:26 Disney Friends: the moment a playtest rewrote the design17:19 Classic vs modern motivators: what technology changed20:41 The research that challenged the “games are competition” assumption22:36 Why game lessons translate to enterprise software (and where gamification goes wrong)25:19 Pro-social design: trust, safety and communities at scale28:33 Designing for companionship and shared experiences34:43 Onboarding as growth strategy, not a “nice to have”37:38 Journey mapping 100 levels: making invisible drop-off visible39:25 On-demand learning beats one-and-done tutorials41:58 Advice for people trying to break into games during layoffs44:36 Turning a sixth anniversary outage into a UX win Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.
On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen, we dive into an article spotlighting three Van Halen songs that helped define—and dominate—the 1980s. From Eddie Van Halen's mind-blowing guitar wizardry to the band's explosive mix of hard rock and pop hooks, there's no question Van Halen had the entire decade in a headlock. Whether you lived through the '80s or discovered them later and became obsessed, these are essential tracks every fan needs to know. First up, “Hot for Teacher.” It may have only reached No. 56 on the Billboard charts, but its music video became an instant '80s classic. Featuring a cast that included Yano Anaya (the bully from A Christmas Story) and a Miss Canada runner-up, the video followed younger versions of the band and a nerdy kid named Waldo through a wild fantasy high school—bikini-clad teachers and all. Controversial? Sure. Iconic? Absolutely. Between the over-the-top visuals, cheeky lyrics, and Eddie's blazing guitar work, it's pure Van Halen magic. Then there's “Unchained,” a powerhouse track from the 1981 album Fair Warning. With its swagger, attitude, and unforgettable riff, it stands as one of the band's heaviest and coolest moments. Eddie's use of the MXR M-117 flanger helped give the song its unmistakable sound, while producer Ted Templeman later called it the perfect example of Van Halen being “a heavy metal band with a sense of humor.” Raw, loud, and unforgettable. And of course, you can't talk about songs that took the '80s by storm without “Jump.” Van Halen's biggest hit ever broke new ground with its synth-driven sound and uplifting energy. Set in the bright key of C major, it felt like nothing the band had done before—yet it still delivered that unmistakable Van Halen punch. Eddie's one-take guitar solo seals the deal, soaring right alongside those legendary keyboards that hook you from the very first note. Three songs. One band. Total '80s takeover. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE CONTENT! Never Miss a New Video! Subscribe ⇢ https://www.youtube.com/user/johnnybeane?sub_confirmation=1 ► Make sure to CLICK the
Streamed live on Feb 6, 2026 #torah #hebrewbible #escatology #torah #hebrewbible #escatology #torahportion #torahcommunity #torahdiscussion #torahpodcast #paleo #hebrewscriptures #genesis #nephilim #biblestudy #bibleverse #oldtestament #sabbath #sabbathfellowship #sabbathkeeper #serpent #wisdom #holyspirit #jesus #tencommandments #charliekirk #wearecharliekirk #moses #beatitudes 2026 TUC YEARLY FINANCIAL GOAL (Paleo Hebrew Scriptures): https://www.givesendgo.com/The-Paleo-... Contact: noelhadley@yahoo.com TUC BOOK CLUB (Patreon): / membership PayPal: paypal.me/noeljoshuahadley Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/Noel-Hadley TUC Store: https://store.theunexpectedcosmology.... 2026 TUC Catalogue: https://unexpected-cosmology.nyc3.dig... Website: The Unexpected Cosmology Link: https://theunexpectedcosmology.com/ Archives page: https://theunexpectedcosmology.com/ar... TUC Discord Community: / discord TUC 2 YouTube: / @theunexpectedcosmology2 Hebrew Match Dating: https://www.hebrewmatch.com/ Shelves of Shalom Publishing: https://shelvesofshalompublishing.com/ Facebook: / theunexpectedcosmology
In this episode of the JAMODI Podcast, Matt Sayman sits down with Ryan Murphy for a powerful conversation on culture, confidence, and building a sustainable program.Coach Murphy breaks down what it really looks like to take over a program, survive the challenges of Year 1, and see growth take hold in Year 2. From defining standards to developing shooters and embracing adversity, this episode is loaded with real, practical coaching insight.If you're a coach trying to build belief, play faster, and create a culture that lasts beyond wins and losses, this episode is for you
In this episode, Vince talks with Ray Huang, VP of Marketing at Canopy Connect, about category creation, defining new market language, and building momentum around immaterial but critical processes like insurance intake. Ray explains how Canopy Connect simplifies insurance data intake, why establishing clear terminology matters for both customers and competitors, and the strategic mindset behind positioning a company in a nascent category. They also discuss the parallels between category creation in insurance tech and other emerging spaces like branded podcasting — where messaging confusion creates drag on adoption. A rich conversation for founders, marketers, and builders thinking about how to make people understand what they do, not just like it.Guest BioRay Huang is Vice President of Marketing at Canopy Connect, an insurtech company focused on streamlining the insurance intake experience for agencies and customers alike. With years of startup experience and a deep understanding of what makes category positioning resonate, Ray leads Go‑to‑Market strategy, messaging, and the effort to define an emerging space in insurance technology that didn't have a name — until now.TakeawaysProblem first, product second: The best solutions solve real, felt pain — not imagined ones. Canopy Connect emerged from an actual agent's nightmare intake process.Category creation matters: Giving a name to the task you solve (insurance intake) helps customers articulate what you do — and increases adoption and advocacy.Terminology influences adoption: When competitors start using your category language, it validates that the category has traction.Competition is healthy: You want alternatives in the category because it proves market demand — not that you're alone.Naming matters: Clear, concrete terms (“insurance intake platform”) outperform fuzzy marketer language that sounds cool but doesn't convey meaning.Category leadership strategy: You don't have to be the only player — just the one that sets the rules and becomes the default first choice.Clear messaging accelerates growth: Shared language helps SEO, sales conversations, customer success, and overall brand momentum.Chapters00:00 – Welcome & Introduction to Ray Huang 00:23 – What Canopy Connect Does 01:00 – The Problem of Insurance Intake 03:10 – Origin Story: How Canopy Connect Started 04:49 – Scaling Connections: From 30 to 300 Carriers 06:06 – Category Challenges & Messaging 06:22 – Defining a New Category: “Insurance Intake” 08:48 – Borrowing Language & Building Terminology 10:07 – Framing Alternatives and Competitive Landscape 11:14 – Why “Fluffy” Category Names Fail 12:00 – Competitors & The Status Quo as Alternatives 14:47 – Rules of Category Positioning 15:16 – The Realities of Buyer Evaluation 17:23 – Market Reaction & Terminology Adoption 18:50 – Competitive Structures (CRM Analogy) 20:31 – Importance of Shared Terminology 21:38 – How to Connect With RayLinkedInConnect with Ray HuangFuture Fuzz Host – Vince Quinn
In this episode of the Juicebox Podcast, "temp basal" (temporary basal) is the primary term being defined. Free Juicebox Community (non Facebook) Type 1 Diabetes Pro Tips - THE PODCAST Eversense CGM Medtronic Diabetes Tandem Mobi ** Use code JUICEBOX to save 40% at Cozy Earth CONTOUR NextGen smart meter and CONTOUR DIABETES app Dexcom G7 Go tubeless with Omnipod 5 or Omnipod DASH * Get your supplies from US MED or call 888-721-1514 Touched By Type 1 Take the T1DExchange survey Apple Podcasts> Subscribe to the podcast today! The podcast is available on Spotify, Google Play, iHeartRadio, Radio Public, Amazon Music and all Android devices The Juicebox Podcast is a free show, but if you'd like to support the podcast directly, you can make a gift here or buy me a coffee. Thank you! *The Pod has an IP28 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The Omnipod 5 Controller is not waterproof. ** t:slim X2 or Tandem Mobi w/ Control-IQ+ technology (7.9 or newer). RX ONLY. Indicated for patients with type 1 diabetes, 2 years and older. BOXED WARNING:Control-IQ+ technology should not be used by people under age 2, or who use less than 5 units of insulin/day, or who weigh less than 20 lbs. Safety info: tandemdiabetes.com/safetyinfo Disclaimer - Nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast or read on Arden's Day is intended as medical advice. You should always consult a physician before making changes to your health plan. If the podcast has helped you to live better with type 1 please tell someone else how to find it!
In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze the trajectory of Neoliberalism, exploring global wealth breakthroughs, the rise of technocratic bureaucracies, and recent populist shifts through a critical historical lens. -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (05:58) Defining the Age of Neoliberalism (09:44) The Technocratic Compromise (16:49) The "Shared Illusion" and the Projector Screen (19:10) Definitions of Freedom: Anglo-Saxon vs. French (20:51) The "Terrarium" of Modern Consciousness (31:36) COVID-19 and the Lifting of the Veil (36:38) The Decline of Europe and the Rise of Natural Elites (43:48) The Professional Betrayal: Academia and Medicine (1:05:49) The Greek Crisis and the Fragility of the EU (1:17:08) Brexit and the Nihilism of the UK (1:28:10) Post-Soviet Russia: From Chaos to Postmodernism (1:36:58) The Rise and Threat of China (1:46:25) The "Methodist" Success of South Korea (1:56:56) 9/11 and the Failure of National Confidence (2:15:18) Wrap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bryan McDermand is an American Beach Volleyball and Indoor Coach, and a former indoor and open level sand player. He is also the founder and head coach of "Progression Beach Volleyball Club," an indoor sand volleyball club with a state-of-the-art facility in Chicago. His volleyball IQ and application have made him one of the most respected coaches and volleyball minds in his region and to some, the country. This no-frills, straight-to-the-point coach does very few things that do not have a purpose, and I always enjoy trying and failing to catch him off-guard. 01:14 - Catching up 04:35 - Defining excellence in juniors' volleyball, discussing the players, parents, and coaches' perspective 18:35 - Defining excellence in juniors' volleyball - players participating in their success 26:30 - You are their parent, not their friend, or are you? 44:41 - Parental feedback, and breaking barriers of communication, plus, when to let the parent be the parent, the coach be the coach 1:00:00 - What happens when they lose (not "if" they lose), the recovery, plus, the luxury of being an underdog 1:11:08 - the role of coaching, ideas you borrow vs your ability to harness it 1:22:11 - we go "myth-busting" mode (with my rhyme credited to "Flawless") #nyvarsitysports #optionpodcast #progressionbeachvolleyball
https://www.uncommen.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Roommates.mp3 When Your Soulmate Becomes Just a Tenant Quick Answers What is roommate syndrome? It is a state in marriage where emotional and physical intimacy dissolves, leaving two people who manage a household together but live separate lives. Is it normal? All marriages go through dry seasons, but accepting this disconnection as a permanent status quo is dangerous and often a precursor to divorce. How do we fix it? It requires breaking the silence, practicing vulnerability, and intentionally pursuing your wife again—spiritually and emotionally. Does counseling mean we failed? No. seeking help is a sign of strength. It means you value the marriage enough to fight for it rather than watching it die a slow death. What if I'm the only one trying? You are called to lead. Even if your wife seems checked out, your consistency in prayer and pursuit can change the atmosphere of the home. The Silent Shift You know the drill. You walk in the door after a long day, drop your keys, and maybe mutter a quick "hey" to your wife who is busy in the kitchen. You eat dinner, talk about the kids' schedules, discuss which bill needs to be paid, and then retreat to your separate corners. Maybe you scroll through your phone on the couch while she watches a show in the bedroom. Then, it's lights out. You sleep in the same bed, but you might as well be miles apart. There is no yelling. There is no throwing plates. on the surface, everything looks "fine." But deep down, you know the fire is gone. You aren't lovers anymore; you are logistics managers. You are business partners running "Family, Inc." This is roommate syndrome. It is one of the most insidious threats to modern marriage because it doesn't look like a crisis. It looks like peace. But as we discussed on the podcast, silence isn't always peace; sometimes, it's just the sound of a marriage slowly suffocating. If you feel like you and your wife are just "ships in the night," passing each other in the hallway with a high-five before handling the next task, you are in the danger zone. Defining the Diagnosis: What is Roommate Syndrome? Roommate syndrome is exactly what it sounds like: a relationship dynamic where the romantic, spiritual, and emotional connection has eroded, leaving only a functional partnership. You share a mortgage, a Netflix password, and maybe some DNA in the form of children, but you don't share hearts. In the podcast, we talked about how easy it is to slide into this. Life gets busy. Careers demand 60 hours a week. Kids need to be driven to practice. The "tyranny of the urgent" takes over, and the first thing to get cut from the schedule is the energy required to pursue your spouse. The problem with roommate syndrome is that it feels safe. It's comfortable. It doesn't demand vulnerability. You can stay in your lane, she stays in hers, and you avoid the messy work of intimacy. But God did not design marriage to be a co-op living arrangement. He designed it to be a reflection of Christ and the Church—a union of oneness. When we settle for roommate syndrome, we aren't just missing out on a better marriage; we are missing the very point of the covenant we made. The "Middle of the Movie" Trap We all love the beginning of a romance movie. It's exciting, passionate, and full of pursuit. And we like the end, where the old couple sits on the porch holding hands, having weathered the storms of life. But as Joshua pointed out in the podcast, nobody likes the "middle part of the movie." The middle is where the work happens. The middle is where the bills pile up, the babies are crying at 3:00 AM, and the exhaustion sets in. This is the breeding ground for roommate syndrome. It is in this "boring middle" that we stop trying. We assume that because we said "I do" five or ten years ago, the work is done. But marriage isn't a slow cooker; you can't just set it and forget it. If you stop feeding the fire, it will go out. Many men find themselves in the grip of roommate syndrome simply because they stopped dating their wives once they "sealed the deal." They stopped asking questions. They stopped listening. They replaced curiosity with routine. The Danger of "We're Just Fine" If someone asked you how your marriage is right now, would you say, "We're fine"? "Fine" is the most dangerous four-letter word in a marriage. "Fine" is the waiting room for divorce. When you are suffering from roommate syndrome, "fine" is the lie you tell yourself to avoid rocking the boat. You might think, "Well, we aren't fighting." But the absence of conflict is not the presence of intimacy. Two corpses in a morgue don't fight either, but that doesn't mean they have a relationship. Roommate syndrome thrives on apathy. It convinces you that a lack of arguing is a sign of health, when in reality, it might just mean you've both stopped caring enough to engage. As mentioned in the episode, lack of communication is the primary fuel for roommate syndrome. You stop sharing your fears, your dreams, and your struggles because it takes too much effort, or you fear rejection. So you talk about the weather. You talk about the schedule. You keep it surface level. And slowly, the woman you promised to give your life to becomes a stranger you live with. The Generational Shift: Staying vs. Leaving There is an interesting generational divide when it comes to roommate syndrome. The Older Generation: Often stays together out of duty. They might sleep in separate rooms or live separate lives for 30 years, resigned to the fact that "this is just how it is." They honor the commitment, but they lose the joy. The Younger Generation: Often views roommate syndrome as a valid reason to bail. The mindset is, "I'm not happy, I'm not fulfilled, so I'm out." Neither of these is the biblical model. God doesn't want you to be miserable or divorced. He wants you to be restored. Whether you have been married for 36 years or 6 years, roommate syndrome is not a life sentence. It is a warning light on the dashboard. It's telling you that the engine needs oil. We have to reject the cultural lie that says passion inevitably fades and that becoming roommates is the natural evolution of a long marriage. That is false. Intimacy changes, yes, but it should deepen, not disappear. Vulnerability: The Cure for the Common Roommate So, how do you break free from roommate syndrome? It starts with the one thing men hate most: vulnerability. You have to be the one to break the silence. You have to be the one to say, "Hey, I feel like we are drifting apart, and I miss you." That is terrifying. It opens you up to rejection. She might say, "Well, that's your fault." She might not be ready to hear it. But as the leader of your home, you cannot wait for her to fix the dynamic. Roommate syndrome feeds on pride. It says, "I won't pursue her until she respects me," or "I'm tired of trying." You have to kill that pride. You have to be willing to look foolish in the pursuit of your wife's heart. In the podcast, we discussed the importance of talking through the disconnect. You can't fix what you won't name. If you are just "high-fiving in the hallway," sit her down. Ask her, "Do you feel like we are just roommates?" You might be surprised to find that she has been feeling the exact same loneliness but was too afraid to bring it up. The "Hunting License" on Your Life Here is a concept from the podcast that might sting a bit: Your wife has a "hunting license" on your life. When you got married, you gave her the right to call you out. You gave her the right to speak into your blind spots. Often, roommate syndrome sets in because men revoke that license. We get defensive. We stop listening to her input because it feels like nagging. So, she stops talking. She stops trying to help you grow. She withdraws. And suddenly, you have peace and quiet, but you also have roommate syndrome. To heal, you have to re-issue that license. You need to invite her back into your life as a partner, not just a spectator. Ask her, "Where am I failing you? How can I love you better?" When you give her permission to speak truth into your life again, you bridge the gap that roommate syndrome created. You show her that you value her voice more than your ego. The Spiritual Disconnect We cannot talk about roommate syndrome without talking about your spiritual walk. If you and your wife are spiritually disconnected, you will inevitably be relationally disconnected. The Bible talks about being "unequally yoked." Usually, we apply this to a believer marrying a non-believer. But it can happen in a Christian marriage too. If you are growing in your faith and she is stagnant, or if she is chasing God and you are content with Sunday morning Christianity, you are pulling in different directions. Roommate syndrome is often a symptom of a spiritual drought. When was the last time you prayed with your wife? Not just over a meal, but really prayed? When was the last time you discussed Scripture together? If the answer is "I don't remember," then you have found the root of the problem. Intimacy with God fuels intimacy with your spouse. If you are running on empty spiritually, you have nothing to offer her but your own limited patience and energy. Practical Steps to Evict the Roommate You can't just think your way out of roommate syndrome; you have to act your way out. Here are practical steps to start turning the ship around today: 1. The 10-Minute Check-In Stop the "ships in the night" routine. Dedicate 10 minutes every day—no screens, no kids—to just talk. And you can't talk about logistics. No bills, no schedules. Ask about her heart. Ask about her day. Re-learn the art of conversation. 2. Date Your Wife Again It sounds cliché, but it works. When you were dating, you put in the effort. You shaved, you made plans,
Recent weeks have seen extreme cross‑asset volatility, with sharp unwinds hitting US and China tech stocks, precious metals and cryptocurrencies. In China, renewed concerns about regulatory scrutiny are weighing on sentiment, even as the case for a stronger renminbi continues to build.In this episode of Moving Markets: The View Beyond, Richard Tang, Head of Research Hong Kong at Julius Baer, speaks with Hong Hao, Managing Partner and CIO of Lotus Asset Management Ltd., to discuss what the market dislocations mean for investors, and how these cross-asset dynamics may shape positioning in the weeks ahead.(00:30) - The big precious metals selloff (04:04) - Cryptocurrencies – near and long-term outlook (08:13) - Industrial metals remain supported by rising strategic demand (10:36) - China tech – is it time to buy the dip? (13:55) - Defining “value” in China's rotation (15:32) - Regulatory scrutiny – how worried should investors be? (20:20) - A-shares vs H-shares in the short term? (23:03) - Renminbi strength and outlook
#689: Most people think forgetting a name means their brain is failing. Dr. Majid Fotuhi, a neurologist who taught at Johns Hopkins and Harvard, sees thousands of patients convinced they have Alzheimer's – only to discover they're dealing with poor sleep or stress. Dr. Fotuhi joins us to break down the difference between cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. He explains why chronic stress physically shrinks your hippocampus — the thumb-sized memory center in your brain — and how twelve weeks of lifestyle changes reversed cognitive decline in 84 percent of his patients. We talk about the five hidden taxes draining your brain: sedentary lifestyle, poor sleep, junk food, chronic stress and mental laziness. Scrolling social media after work counts as mental laziness, even if your day job involves intense focus. Dr. Fotuhi offers a different framework: five pillars that compound over time. Exercise ranks first because it multiplies mitochondria in your brain cells, reduces inflammation and generates new neurons in your hippocampus. Walking 10,000 steps daily cuts Alzheimer's risk by 50 percent. Sleep comes second. Your brain rinses itself during deep sleep, flushing out amyloid — the core protein in Alzheimer's disease. One night of poor sleep increases amyloid in your brain. We cover nutrition (skip the junk food debate), mindset (heart rate variability breathing reduces Alzheimer's footprints) and brain training. Dr. Fotuhi memorizes 70 names in a single lecture and explains his technique for remembering credit card numbers using mental imagery. The conversation covers London taxi drivers who grew their hippocampus by memorizing 10,000 streets, why stress management beats supplements, and how Swedish students learning Arabic increased their brain volume in three months. Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising segments. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. (00:00) Defining cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer's disease (05:19) Why cognitive issues don't always mean Alzheimer's (07:24) Thinking of your brain as an asset to manage (07:51) The five hidden taxes draining your brain (10:45) How poor sleep prevents brain rinsing and causes inflammation (14:20) Oral health and brain health connection (16:40) Brain plasticity and the Broca lobe (27:02) The five pillars of brain health (35:23) Cardiovascular fitness versus strength training for brain health (38:51) Sleep as the second pillar of brain health (48:05) When exercise beats sleep (51:33) Different types of intelligence beyond IQ tests (1:03:53) Reversing brain damage from decades of bad habits (1:10:25) Nutrition and avoiding junk food (1:25:09) Mindset and stress management as pillar four (1:33:35) Breathing exercises for stress reduction (1:39:24) Brain training as the fifth pillar (1:51:52) Memory techniques for names and numbers (2:02:46) Nootropics and supplements for brain health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
John gets a call from an auction employee who's quite impressed with Give Me the Vin--and immediately gets a call for another friendly deal. We're DEFINING what "Win/Win" can be.
In this episode of House of Learning: Understanding the Doctrine of the Temple, Meghan Farner and Cory Jensen explore what ordinances truly are, why they matter spiritually, and how they function as the bridge between human effort and the saving power of Jesus Christ's Atonement.This lesson introduces a transformational framework for understanding ordinances as having three essential components: a physical action, a symbolic spiritual teaching, and a real spiritual manifestation or gift of grace. Using baptism as a primary example, the discussion reveals how ordinances are not merely symbolic rituals, but divinely designed pathways for spiritual rebirth, covenant relationship, and inner transformation.You'll learn:✨ Why ordinances are the means by which we access the power of Christ's Atonement ✨ The three essential components of every saving ordinance ✨ How baptism teaches death, rebirth, surrender, and resurrection ✨ What baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost truly represents ✨ Why ordinances are incomplete without spiritual manifestation ✨ How temple ordinances mirror these same spiritual patterns ✨ The meaning of signs, tokens, and covenant exchangeThis episode invites viewers to move beyond automatic or surface-level participation in ordinances and toward lived spiritual experience, discernment, and conscious covenant relationship. If you've ever wondered why ordinances matter, how they actually change us, or how temple rituals connect to real spiritual growth, this lesson provides essential clarity and spiritual depth.
Happy Valentine's Day Weekend! Need to Outperform Your Competitors in 2026? Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS delivers an insightful masterclass on outperforming your competition through applied and actionable SEO marketing tactics. The discussion covers the critical distinction between direct and indirect competitors, strategic approaches to competitive analysis using tools like SimilarWeb.com and SparkToro.com, and the importance of focusing on long-term performance over short-term rankings.Favour emphasizes the value of understanding customer intent, the difference between pre-purchase and post-purchase behavior, and how to leverage both Google search and social media platforms like Instagram for comprehensive market visibility. The session includes live Q&A with participants discussing real-world challenges in SEO strategy, website validation, and go-to-market approaches for startups in niche markets.Book SEO Services | Quick Links for Social Business>> Book SEO Services with Favour Obasi-ike>> Visit Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services>> Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community>> Read SEO Articles>> Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast>> Purchase Flaev Beatz Beats Online>> Favour Obasi-ike Quick LinksDetailed TimestampsIntroduction & Topic Overview00:00 - 02:02 - Opening: Outperform competitors with applied search everywhere optimization (SEO marketing tactics)02:02 - 03:10 - Understanding your competitors: National, international, local, and regional competitionDirect vs. Indirect Competitors03:10 - 04:46 - Defining direct and indirect competitors in your market04:46 - 06:17 - Market share dynamics and competitive positioningPractical Example: Flower Business Case Study06:17 - 09:13 - Using a Valentine's flower business as a practical example09:13 - 11:47 - Time-based pricing strategies and customer behavior patterns11:47 - 14:22 - Applying competitive insights to pricing and positioningSEO Strategy & Competitive Analysis14:22 - 17:35 - Understanding competitor strengths and weaknesses17:35 - 20:48 - Using competitive intelligence for content strategy20:48 - 23:19 - Keyword research and search intent analysisTools & Resources for Competitive Research23:19 - 25:42 - Introduction to SimilarWeb, SocialBlade, and SparkToro25:42 - 27:58 - Cost-effective alternatives for competitive analysis27:58 - 30:16 - Building long-term visibility through strategic toolsLive Q&A Session Begins•30:16 - 31:02 - Mohsen introduces himself: Software engineer starting a startup in the tattoo field31:02 - 32:34 - Question: How to approach SEO when there's no competition in your field?Google vs. Instagram Strategy Discussion32:34 - 35:05 - Why Google is the most unsaturated platform for search-based marketing35:05 - 37:15 - Instagram as a feed-based platform vs. Google as intent-based search37:15 - 40:30 - Pre-purchase vs. post-purchase intent: Amazon vs. YouTube analogyWebsite Validation & Trust Building40:30 - 43:12 - The importance of having a website for business credibility43:12 - 45:38 - Off-page SEO: Connecting Instagram to your website45:38 - 48:05 - Building relationship models across platformsAdvanced SEO Tactics48:05 - 50:21 - Running ads effectively: Brand awareness before advertising spend50:21 - 52:47 - Understanding audience targeting and customer journey mapping52:47 - 54:26 - Closing remarks and how to stay connected on ClubhouseFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)1. What is the difference between direct and indirect competitors?Direct competitors are businesses that offer the same products or services within your niche or market. They target the same customer base and operate in similar ways. For example, if you sell red roses, other florists selling red roses are your direct competitors.Indirect competitors are businesses that offer different products or services but satisfy the same customer need or compete for the same market share. Using the flower example, supermarkets and farmer's markets selling flowers would be indirect competitors to a specialized florist.2. How do I find out who my competitors are?Favour recommends using several competitive analysis tools:SimilarWeb: For website traffic and audience insightsSocialBlade: For social media analytics and competitor trackingSparkToro: For audience intelligence and content discoveryYou can also identify competitors by searching for your target keywords on Google and seeing which businesses rank for those terms. Consider both national, international, local, and regional competitors depending on your market scope.3. Should I focus on Google or Instagram for my business?According to Favour, Google is the most unsaturated platform because it's based on search intent—people actively looking for specific solutions. Instagram is a feed-based platform better suited for brand awareness and showcasing visual results (before/after transformations, product demonstrations).Best approach: Use both strategically. Google captures pre-purchase intent (people researching solutions), while Instagram provides post-purchase validation and builds brand awareness. Having a website connected to your Instagram profile adds credibility and improves your off-page SEO.4. What's more important: ranking or performance?Favour emphasizes that performance is more important than ranking. Rankings fluctuate constantly (like stock prices or gas prices), but performance focuses on long-term outcomes:How quickly can you serve customers?What value do you provide beyond just appearing in search results?Can customers find your information when they need it?Anyone can rank with AI-generated content today, but what makes your business different is the experience, speed, and value you deliver to customers.5. How do I approach SEO if I have no competition in my field?When you're in a niche market with little to no competition, Favour suggests:Reverse engineer your success: If you're getting traction on Instagram, create corresponding website content (10 Instagram posts = 10 website articles)Focus on search volume: Research if there's search demand on Google for your servicesBuild credibility: Having a website validates your business more than social media aloneCreate content ecosystems: Connect your social media to your website through embedding posts and cross-linking6. Why is having a website important if I already have Instagram?A website provides business validation and credibility. As Favour's example illustrated: if three businesses offer the same service but only one has a website, customers will trust the one with a website because it demonstrates investment in human resources, infrastructure, and long-term commitment.Additionally, a website enables off-page SEO—when your Instagram links to your website, you're building relationship models between platforms that improve your overall search visibility.7. What is pre-purchase vs. post-purchase intent?Pre-purchase intent: Customers researching before buying (e.g., reading Amazon reviews, comparing products on Google)Post-purchase intent: Customers who already bought and need guidance (e.g., watching YouTube tutorials on how to use an air fryer they purchased)Understanding this distinction helps you create appropriate content for each stage of the customer journey. Google and review sites capture pre-purchase intent, while platforms like YouTube and Instagram serve post-purchase needs.8. Should I run ads if people can't find my business organically?Favour advises: Don't run ads first if people can't find you organically. If the answer to "Will they find my business without ads?" is no, then focus on building organic visibility first through SEO and content creation.If people can already find you organically, then running ads becomes more cost-effective because you're amplifying existing brand awareness rather than starting from zero.9. What are applied SEO marketing tactics?Applied SEO refers to search everywhere optimization—not just optimizing for Google, but creating a comprehensive presence across all platforms where customers might search:Google searchInstagram searchYouTube searchSocial media platformsReview sitesLocal directoriesIt's about understanding customer behavior across multiple touchpoints and ensuring your business is discoverable wherever customers are looking.Additional Resources MentionedSimilarWeb: Competitive website analyticsSocialBlade: Social media statistics and trackingSparkToro: Audience research and insightsChatGPT: AI content generation tool (mentioned in context of ranking vs. performance)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Storage Wins, Alex Pardo shifts the focus from mindset to mechanics—helping Dan Wentzel move from belief to clarity. Together, they define Dan's freedom number, break down what he actually wants self-storage to do for his family, and start building the buy box that will guide every decision moving forward. This is where vague goals get replaced with real numbers. Where "someday" turns into a deadline. And where most aspiring investors realize the thing holding them back isn't opportunity—it's clarity. You'll Learn How To: Identify your true "freedom number" and why it matters Decide whether cash flow, equity, or both should drive your first deal Build a clear buy box that eliminates distractions and wasted time Understand why knowing your personal numbers is non-negotiable Gain confidence by aligning strategy with your actual lifestyle goals What You'll Learn in This Episode: [0:00] Introduction [3:25] Why Season 2 shifts from mindset to mechanics [6:01] How confidence erodes when offers don't turn into deals [10:14] The critical question: what do you want self-storage to do for you? [12:08] Cash flow vs. equity—and why most people confuse the two [20:45] The wake-up call: not knowing your numbers is a problem [23:49] Defining the $25,000/month freedom number [30:29] How to build a buy box that actually filters deals [37:40] Why lack of clarity leads to burnout and quitting [41:15] Facility size, markets, and why "bigger isn't always better" [54:07] Active vs. passive investing—and choosing the right role Who This Episode Is For: Aspiring storage investors overwhelmed by too many options Listeners who've taken action but feel scattered or stuck Anyone unclear on what success actually looks like financially People ready to replace hope with a concrete plan Why You Should Listen: Most investors don't fail because of lack of effort—they fail because they never define what they're aiming for. This episode forces clarity around money, lifestyle, goals, and deal criteria so every future action has direction. If you've ever said "I just want financial freedom" without knowing what that actually means in dollars, this episode will change how you think—and how you move. Follow Alex Pardo here: Alex Pardo Website: https://alexpardo.com/ Alex Pardo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexpardo15 Alex Pardo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexpardo25 Alex Pardo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexPardo Storage Wins Website: https://storagewins.com/ Have conversations with at least three active storage owners, brokers, private lenders, or equity partners inside the Storage Wins Facebook Group. Join for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/322064908446514/
Download: Debunking Common Emotion Myths WorksheetHave you ever felt like your emotions are running the show, pushing and pulling you in directions you don't want to go? You're not alone.In this episode of the Addicted Mind Plus, hosts Duane Osterlind and Eric Osterlind dive deep into the world of emotion regulation. They explore common myths about emotions that keep many of us stuck in unhealthy patterns. With practical insights and compassionate guidance, Duane and Eric shed light on how our misunderstandings about emotions can lead to more intense feelings and problematic behaviors.By debunking these myths, they show us how to develop healthier relationships with our emotions, allowing us to make decisions that align with our true goals. Whether you're struggling with impulsive reactions or avoidance strategies or just want to understand your emotions better, this episode is packed with valuable information that can help you navigate your emotional landscape more effectively.Join Duane and Eric as they explore the myths surrounding emotion regulation and how these misconceptions can hinder our recovery journey. Learn about the importance of understanding your emotions from a biopsychosocial perspective and discover practical tips to regulate your emotions instead of letting them control you. By the end of this episode, you'll have a better grasp of how to manage your emotions and make decisions that support your well-being.Key TopicsUnderstanding the impact of emotions on decision-makingThe importance of emotion regulation skills in recoveryDebunking common myths about emotionsThe role of avoidance and escape strategies in emotional intensityHow to develop a healthier relationship with your emotionsThe benefits of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) in emotion regulationPractical steps to regulate emotions effectivelyKey Moments[00:01:22] - Introduction to the topic of emotion regulation[00:02:07] - The problem with letting emotions drive our decisions[00:03:00] - Defining emotion regulation and its significance[00:07:19] - Introduction to myths about emotions[00:09:08] - Discussion on the myth: Emotions are bad or dangerous[00:11:44] - Exploring the myth: If I start feeling, I'll never stop[00:14:00] - Addressing the myth: I should be able to control my emotionsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, I talk with Sam Vander Wielen—entrepreneur, author, and founder of a multi-million-dollar legal education business. We talk about what happens when the life you built for safety no longer fits—and when success and grief collide at the same time. Sam shares how childhood survival strategies shaped her career, how a scrappy food blog became the bridge out of law, and why listening deeply to customers changed everything in her business. We also explore the parallel track of her personal life: losing both of her parents while scaling her company and signing a book deal. At its core, this conversation is about agency—about recognizing that even after trauma, even after achievement, you still get to choose who you're becoming. It's a conversation about grief, reinvention, and the courage to build a life that's truly your own. Let's get to it! In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (00:44) - The story of “Sourdough Joe” and what it reveals about vision versus follow-through (03:35) - Why community matters so much (06:44) - Moving to Long Island and building a calmer life (09:01) - Childhood chaos vs. adult stability (12:55) - Tools for regulating the nervous system (16:52) - How survival shaped Sam's personality (18:29) - Why law felt like safety—and the only viable path forward (21:28) - The moment that forced Sam to confront her career (26:31) - Starting a food blog (29:02) - The spark behind her pivot (32:04) - Turning law into leverage (36:42) - Building the business (40:18) - Doing the unglamorous work (45:44) - “Mac & cheese” marketing (55:01) - Deciding what to share publicly (01:06:55) - Signing a book deal during tragedy (01:08:25) - Building through grief (01:14:18) - Building a team that creates stability and trust (01:16:29) - Sam's mental model for hiring (01:22:01) - Defining roles as the business evolves (01:24:06) - The systems and discipline behind consistent, high-quality content (01:26:33) - How Sam is thinking about the next chapter (01:30:53) - The risk of telling the truth (01:37:29) - Where Sam has become truly world-class (01:38:06) - Who Sam is becoming Get full show notes and links at https://GoodWorkShow.com. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barrettabrooks.
What if the difference between stalled growth and market leadership is one bold email, one honest reframe, or one great hire you think you can't afford? We sit down with Richard Conway, Founder and Managing Director of Pure SEO, to unpack how an introvert with $200 built one of New Zealand's most recognized digital marketing groups by betting on systems, A-players, and asymmetric opportunities.We trace the path from bartering for a logo to landing enterprise leads by upgrading brand signals online, then dig into the inflection point where ten people exposed the limits of hustle. Richard explains how bringing in an operations specialist, building internal software, and opening a Manila office cut errors, scaled delivery, and freed him to sell and lead. He shares the mentors and investors who compressed his learning curve, plus the gut-check process he uses to make fast, reversible decisions without burning out on analysis.The conversation gets real about personal adversity—miscarriages, a cancer diagnosis, and a key resignation in the same week—and how trust and responsibility pulled him out of bed when comfort would not. We explore why focusing on strengths beats fixing weaknesses, how to avoid punishing top performers, and why paying for A-players ultimately lowers cost. Then we map the playbook for bold, unconventional moves: cold-calling Penguin Random House before a book existed, turning a week on Richard Branson's Necker Island into national press and six clients, and inviting industry leaders into his work with a generous ask.Along the way, you'll hear practical habits that keep a fast mind clear—Muay Thai, weekly thinking time, and broad reading—and simple ways to raise your kids' EQ by bringing them into the room. If you're ready to think like a CEO, this episode shows what it looks like: reframe setbacks, design systems, choose discomfort, and tell your story so opportunity can find you. If this sparked a new move for you, follow, share with a founder friend, and leave a quick review to help more leaders find the show. In this podcast you will learn about:• Defining elite success as comfort with actions and progress• Delegating to weaknesses to remove bottlenecks• Building momentum through daily iterations• Perception and brand signals driving enterprise deals• Mentors and transparency accelerating decisions• Fear exposure through public speaking and outreach• Hiring A-players over fixing underperformers• Funding growth with recurring revenue disciplineHighlights:0:00Think Like A CEO Series Setup0:44Meet Richard Conway And Origin Story2:42Defining Elite Success And Balance3:48Delegation And Reframing Losses6:06Moving Countries And Building A Network8:20From $200 Startup To Perception11:18Momentum And Iteration In Growth12:58Becoming A CEO Through Systems15:35Mentors, Investors, And Transparency17:18Personal Trials And Showing Up20:16Fear, Public Speaking, And Reps22:45Calculated Risk And Learning Loops25:04Decision Fatigue And Gut Checks27:12Hiring Blind Spots And Safeguards29:01Double Down On Strengths31:05Paying For A-Players And Recurring Revenue33:26Varied Days And Parenting With ExposureInterested in 1:1 Coaching?If you were truly leading at the level your vision requires, what decision would you make this week?I provide strategic coaching for high-performing financial advisors, service-based business owners, and leaders who want coaching that goes beyond accountability. I partner with you to execute on your vision and focus on what truly drives results: executive presence, leadership development, scaling, and prioritization.The outcome:...
In this episode of Programmatic Digest, Hélène sits down with Dominique Robinson, an integrated media planner at Luquire, for an insightful conversation on how media planning is evolving in today's programmatic-first world. Dominique shares his personal journey into advertising, from early inspiration through marketing and design to building integrated media strategies that blend traditional channels like broadcast with digital and programmatic media across streaming, social, and online platforms. Together, they break down what "integrated media planning" really looks like inside an agency — including how teams collaborate across departments, develop strategic client briefs, define audiences, and build media plans that align with both business goals and consumer behavior. Dominique also explains how tools like Resonate help planners create detailed audience profiles and uncover where target consumers are most engaged — supporting the philosophy of truly "following the eyeballs" across channels. The episode wraps with a thoughtful discussion on the role of AI in advertising, how teams are using tools like ChatGPT for idea generation and validation, and why human expertise and foundational planning skills remain critical as the industry shifts toward automation. ✨ And don't miss the YouTube vodcast version of this episode, where Hélène shares a live demo of the agentic DSP technology mentioned in the conversation — showing what the future of AI-powered media buying could look like in practice.
In this episode of Excess Returns, we sit down with Pete Hecht of AQR to break down portable alpha, capital efficient portfolio construction, and how investors can combine equity beta with truly diversifying sources of alpha. We cover how portable alpha works in practice, how it solves the funding problem for alternative strategies, and why implementation details like leverage, liquidity, and financing costs matter more than most investors realize. If you're interested in diversification, long short investing, managed futures, equity market neutral strategies, or improving total returns without giving up equity exposure, this discussion provides a practical and detailed framework.Main Topics CoveredWhat portable alpha actually is and how it differs from traditional stock bond alternative portfoliosHow portable alpha combines equity beta exposure with unconstrained long short alphaThe funding problem with alternatives and how portable alpha solves itTurnkey implementation versus separating alpha managers and beta overlaysThe role of equity market neutral, managed futures, and multi strategy approachesWhy private equity and private credit are poor candidates for portable alphaLong short leverage versus long only leverage and how to think about riskTarget volatility, risk models, and stress testing leveraged portfoliosFinancing costs in futures markets and how higher interest rates affect strategiesHow to evaluate portable alpha using excess returns, tracking error, and tail riskTax aware implementation and after tax returnsWhy mutual funds are not obsolete for active long short strategiesThe importance of asking whether a view is already priced into valuationsTimestamps00:00 Why you cannot eat a risk adjusted return02:12 Defining portable alpha and the problem it solves03:55 Portable alpha versus traditional balanced portfolios06:54 The funding problem with diversifying alternatives09:00 How portable alpha works in practice13:05 What types of alpha strategies work best16:35 Managed futures and crisis alpha19:49 Simplicity versus complexity in implementation21:46 Why private equity and private credit do not work in portable alpha24:15 Understanding leverage and risk management29:18 Target volatility and portfolio construction34:52 Stress testing and lessons from COVID and 202235:01 Risks and financing costs of portable alpha38:50 Interest rates and leveraged strategies39:07 Identifying hidden beta and volatility laundering46:08 Introducing AQR Fusion Funds50:25 Evaluating performance versus the benchmark53:17 Tax efficiency in long short mutual funds57:29 Is your view already priced in
“Value is back,” the headlines say—so investors rush from mega-cap growth into “boring” staples, utilities, and healthcare. But here's the problem: sector labels aren't valuation metrics. In many cases, the so-called “value rotation” is an illusion—because investors may be rotating into expensive stocks while selling the actual value hiding inside “growth.” Lance Roberts & Michael Lebowitz break down why value and growth aren't mutually exclusive, and why the market's favorite shortcut—“defensives = value, tech = growth”—can lead to costly portfolio mistakes. 0:00 - INTRO 0:19 - Employment Numbers Surprise 6:01 - Why We're Setting Up for a Dollar Rally 14:05 - Gasoline Price Comparisons 15:59 - Value Stocks & Market Rotations 19:36 - Defining "Growth" vs "Value" 21:22 - Buying the Future, not the Past 22:38 - The Problem w Forward Earnings 28:06 - How Passive Flows Drive Markets Higher 32:01 - Overbought Markets Can Remain So for a Long Time 35:01 - How the Dow Industrials Have Shifted 37:57 - Employment is Not as Strong as Hoped (It's garbage) 39:57 - Expect Revisions Next Year 43:11 - Friday Inflation-Truflation Report Preview 45:34 - ISM Index Anecdotal Evidence Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Portfolio Manger, Michael Lebowitz, CFA Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Register for our next Candid Coffee, 2/21/26: https://streamyard.com/watch/Wq3Yvn9ny5GV ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/2133YnloEBo?feature=share ------- Articles mentioned in this report: "BLS Labor Report Defies Consensus" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/bls-labor-report-defies-consensus/ --- Watch our previous show, "Q&A Wednesday: You Ask 'em, We'll Answer," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sI0zNQTCyE&list=PLVT8LcWPeAugpcGzM8hHyEP11lE87RYPe&index=1 -------- The latest installment of our new feature, Before the Bell, "Dollar Rally Risk - Overbought Markets," is here: https://youtu.be/ioOGa5YHzDI ------- Visit our E-book Library (no library card required!) https://realinvestmentadvice.com/ria-e-guide-library/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #USdollar #MarketTechnicalAnalysis #MeanReversion #PortfolioRiskManagement #GoldAndSilver #ValueInvesting #StockMarket #PortfolioStrategy #Valuation #InvestingEducation
Matt Kalina — Founder and CEO of TandemStrideMatt Kalina is the Founder and CEO of TandemStride, a healthcare marketplace that connects trauma survivors with peers, care partners, and providers to support long-term recovery. Inspired by his family's firsthand experience with traumatic injury, Matt is dedicated to building solutions that close the gap between emergency care and ongoing support. With his leadership, TandemStride is advancing a more connected and compassionate model of recovery.In our conversation, Matt and I explore the often-overlooked realities of life after traumatic injury, why peer support is such a powerful layer of care, how his family adapted to his brother's traumatic loss of his both his legs in 2012 and have come together through TandemStride to building the support platform they wish had existed by meeting people in moments of real crisis, not months later. We also talk about Matt's evolution as a leadership, his Ohio go-to-market strategy, the power of incentives, the business of trauma, working with his family in the company, empathy, and coming into your life's work. Matt is an inspiring entrepreneur and this was a really special conversation – please enjoy.00:00 Introduction to Tandem Stride02:46 Introduction and Personal Connection04:42 The Journey to Tandem Stride07:15 Identifying Gaps in Injury Care09:47 Understanding Patient Needs12:21 Building the Tandem Stride Platform15:13 Engagement and Outreach Strategies17:57 Navigating Healthcare Partnerships20:30 The Business Model and Future Vision33:39 Engaging in Healthcare Innovation34:42 Defining the Vision for TandemStride37:37 Creating a New Category in Injury Care40:09 Changing Incentives in Healthcare44:07 Long-Term Policy Initiatives45:05 Personal Growth as a Leader48:59 Family Dynamics in Business51:46 Exciting Developments Ahead54:53 Embracing Uncertainty in Entrepreneurship59:21 Outro-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalinamatt/https://www.tandemstride.com/https://www.amazon.com/Cut-Through-Shortcut-That-Everything/dp/0960083766-----SPONSOR:Roundstone InsuranceRoundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company's passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.Cerity PartnersCerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client's financial life, including business ownership. The firm's national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28faConnect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Send a textIn this episode of Evolve Ventures Tech, we challenge the belief that staying quiet keeps us safe. We examine how past experiences, emotional conditioning, and unspoken fears shape the way we show up, speak up, and protect our needs. Through a clarity-forward, psychologically grounded lens, we explore self-advocacy, emotional intelligence, and what it really takes to reclaim our voice without collapsing or overcompensating.This is about moving from self-silencing to self-respect. Enter with honesty. Engage with intention. Walk out with your voice intact.Here are the related episodes, each one builds on today's conversation:#407 | The Fear of Finally Using Your Voice - https://apple.co/4r3RRe6#444 | Why Your Deepest Insecurities Hold the Key to Your Greatest Growth - https://apple.co/4qymY0CLearn more about:
How to Scale Faster with B2B Brand Strategy Here's a common scenario in B2B marketing: you launch campaigns, hit the deadlines, and fill the pipeline, but the results feel disconnected from your long-term goals. Internal messaging discussions resurface, campaigns feel shallow and reactive, and when you ask people what your brand stands for, you get 50 different answers. This inconsistent approach creates friction and impedes scalable growth. So what can B2B marketers do when their tactical execution is outpacing their brand strategy, and how to do you realign for lasting impact? That's why we're talking to JoAnne Gritter (COO, ddm marketing + communications), who shares her expertise and actionable insights on how to scale faster with B2B brand strategy. During our conversation, JoAnne underscored why a foundational strategy is crucial for building credibility and trust in competitive markets. She also discussed the role of AI in marketing, commenting that while it can support with idea generation and research, it shouldn't replace direct communication with customers and employees. JoAnne shared some common pitfalls such as messaging misalignment and inconsistent branding, which can lead to distrust and reduced credibility, She explained the importance of having a cohesive brand strategy that aligns values, messaging, and customer experiences across all company touchpoints through proactive brand management. https://youtu.be/_Alwkinhw-g Topics discussed in episode: [02:36] The “Soul vs. Body” framework: Why marketing is just the body in action, while brand strategy is the soul that provides direction and values. [06:51] Red flags that your marketing has outpaced your strategy: When content feels fragmented and sales teams are telling completely different stories. [08:52] Defining true brand strategy: Moving beyond logos and colors to include deep research, stakeholder analysis, and internal alignment. [14:41] The critical differences between a brand refresh (auditing existing assets), a complete revamp (starting from scratch), and branding during a merger. [24:10] Actionable steps you can take to realign your brand: – Audit your customer journey – Define messaging pillars – Ensure HR and onboarding match the brand promise [29:37] Why “data-only” marketing fails: The importance of human emotion and psychology that performance data often misses. Companies and links mentioned: JoAnne Gritter on LinkedIn ddm marketing + communications Transcript JoAnne Gritter, Christian Klepp JoAnne Gritter 00:00 AI can be used as a tool. It should not replace thinking and actually talking to your customers and your employees and your sales team. So you can use AI as a crutch to to like, ask it for ideas, idea generation. You can use it for deep research on your on your audience, and stuff like that. But nothing replaces the gold standard of talking to people. I see this in messaging misalignment or content misalignment. If content feels like it’s been written by four different people or completely different companies, that’s a red flag. Christian Klepp 00:37 This is a common scenario for B2B Marketers. You launch campaigns, hit the deadlines and fill the pipeline. It all looks great on paper, but something is still off internal messaging discussions resurface. Campaigns feel shallow and reactive, and when you ask people what the brand stands for, you get 50 different answers. So what can B2B Marketers do when their marketing is outpacing their brand strategy? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers in the Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today, I’ll be talking to JoAnne Gritter, who will be answering this question. She’s a member of the leadership team at DDM Marketing Communications that provides integrated marketing solutions to drive business success. Tune in to find out more about what this B2B Marketers Mission is and here we go. JoAnne Gritter, welcome to the show. JoAnne Gritter 01:25 Hi Christian. Happy to be here. Christian Klepp 01:27 We you know, we had such a wonderful, like, pre-interview conversation. I almost feel like we’re neighbors or something, and something to that extent. But I’m, I’m really, like, happy to have you on the show, and I’m really looking forward to this conversation, because this topic is, I’m a little bit biased because I am in the branding space, so it’s a bit near and dear to my heart, but it’s also something that’s extremely important, because you’ll agree. I mean, you, I know you’ll agree because you wrote an article about it. JoAnne Gritter 01:54 Yeah Christian Klepp 01:55 It’s something that marketing teams tend to overlook. And good, goodness gracious me, I’m gonna, like, stop keeping people in suspense. We’ll just jump right in all right. JoAnne Gritter 02:04 Okay Christian Klepp 02:04 So JoAnne, you’re on a mission to provide integrated marketing solutions that drive B2B business success. So for this conversation, let’s focus on this topic, how brand strategy helps B2B organizations to realign for long term growth. So I’m going to kick off this conversation with the following question. In our previous conversation, our previous discussion, you talked about how marketing without a brand is a strategy without a soul. Could you please explain what you meant by that? JoAnne Gritter 02:36 So I just made the comparison kind of to the whole human, as in, like the brand is your soul, meaning like your values, what drives you, why you’re here, what differentiates you, what makes you different than the person standing next to you, whereas, like marketing is your body in action, or action in general, where you hopefully, if you if you’re a trustworthy person, what is, what are your values internally are matching your actions externally? And that is often where we see a divergent in companies, because they don’t think about those as like two sides of the same coin. It is really important that you make sure that you know the direction that you’re going as a company and what you stand for and who you’re there to support or serve, and what markets you’re there to do, and like your whole company, everybody that’s part of interfacing with customers understands that and is and is speaking the same language. Christian Klepp 03:37 Yeah, no, absolutely. And I suppose the the follow up question to that is like, where do you see a lot of, like, marketing teams go wrong. Because, like, you know, more often than not, a lot of teams are like, Okay, we’ve we’ve implemented the campaigns check. We’re generating results and driving pipeline or filling the pipeline, rather check. So where does it all go wrong? JoAnne Gritter 04:00 If you are not paying attention to your branding, you can have a lot of activity without a lot of traction. So or you can have a lot of different messages going out that seem not cohesive or fragmented. And so you can or more examples you can have, like your sales folks going out and telling different stories about about what your company stands for and what you do and how you’re different, that creates a lot of waste, because then you’re continuously trying to get more activity and more campaigns going more sales people out there, because you’re not getting the quality leads that you need, because nobody really knows what you stand for. Everybody says it a little bit differently, and that goes for customer service too. Branding. People think about branding as a marketing problem, or a marketing, you know, teams problem. But if, let’s say part of your brand is your brand identity or values is to put the customer. First, if you don’t really solidify that from your sales team and your customer support team, then there would be a mismatch there, right then you’re just putting out into the world that customers first, but that doesn’t match up with what the customer is experiencing. Christian Klepp 05:16 Yeah, there’s certainly some kind of misalignment there, and you touched on it, like, briefly. It’s interesting to me, like, even in my own experience, one of the telltale signs of that is when you ask people within the organization, well, what makes you different? And you get 50 different answers, and some of them are similar, and some of them are completely, like, different. And it’s like, okay, yep, okay, I see where this is going, or to your to your other point, when sales teams are having those discovery calls, and you listen back to some of those recordings, which I hope you marketing people out there are doing, and you listen to the way that the sales deal with objections, and maybe the procurement team or people like, you know, on the prospect side, they’re probably not phrasing it exactly the way I’m going to say it right now, but like, but they probably are asking something to the effect of, okay, what makes you different from vendor B, C and D, right? What is different about your solution? Like, why are you charging this guy? Why are your rates like, this high. JoAnne Gritter 05:16 Right. Absolutely. And if they have different answers, or if you go and you listen in on four different sales calls and they’re all a little bit different, then that tells you have a branding issue that people don’t fully understand your brand and how you’re different and who you support and serve. Christian Klepp 05:16 Yep, absolutely, absolutely. So you’ve touched on it a little bit, but like, tell us about some more of these. I’m going to call them red flags, right? That signal when marketing has outrun brand strategy. JoAnne Gritter 05:16 Sure, I see this in messaging misalignment or content misalignment. If content feels like it’s been written by four different people or completely different companies, that’s a red flag. If, like we mentioned, your sales team talks about your company completely differently, it’s okay that they put their own little spin on it, as long as you’re still hitting like the purpose of your company, why you’re here, how you serve whatever your target audience or audiences are what your values are. If that’s not coming through in in those different places, then you may have a brand issue, or your training issue, or your brand is not being carried out through the company. So when you have a solid brand, it should be, should be repeated in in like your onboarding process, in HR kind of things, in performance conversations, in obviously, your sales and marketing and your customer service, so that everybody is aligned to that brand, and so that there’s a common message, common theme, because repeatability is is super important. Consistency is super important in marketing. I’m sure a lot of people have heard that it takes multiple multi multiple times of hearing the same message for it to actually resonate, and if they’re hearing multiple different messages, it’s causes confusion and a lack of trust in whatever the company is offering. Christian Klepp 05:16 Yeah, that’s absolutely right. JoAnne, I’ve got a I just thought of another fall off question, and you’ll indulge me here. Um, you know it, I know it. But let’s, let’s clear the air here for a second. Because I’ve been hearing this like, and I’m sure you have as well, in the B2B world, it’s just been thrown around, like, very loosely. Let’s clear the air here. Like, what do you mean by brand strategy, because I’ve heard people, especially at senior level, say, like, Yeah, we don’t need branding. We’ve got a logo and we’ve got a website. We’re good, so maybe just clear the air on that one, please. JoAnne Gritter 05:16 Well, brand strategy is, let’s see, like, I think of strategy in like, four or three different tiers. Like, we have your business strategy, it’s how you win in the marketplace. Then you have your brand strategy, which is positions you in the market and in the minds of your consumers or your customers. And then your marketing strategy is how you take that and communicate it out and you deliver that message in multiple different channels. So if you have marketing running without, without laddering up to that business strategy and and brand strategy, then it’s just, it’s just running and putting stuff out there. So it’s just activity without, without purpose and strategy. So like a brand strategy is so much more than just a lot of people think about it as their logo, their identity suite, whatever, but there should be research that goes into it. They should be stakeholder analysis. They should talk to your customers and kind of understand what they value about about your company compared to another company. So then, using. Their language in some of your brand messaging is super helpful. So if you have like, customers that say, you know, like, I just love working with, you know, Company X, Y and Z, because the people are great. They’re super responsive. They they get me what I need, etc. Like, using some of that as part of your brand is going to be really important. So like, a strategy may may include, like, the focus, the brand, promise your your core values can be part of that. The naming can be part of that. Obviously, the the design part that a lot of folks actually think about and listen or think about and recall would be, like the visual identity that also needs to be consistent, from your logo to your fonts to your colors, and then like, multiple touch points on that, like, again, like repeating that consistency from like the stationary, the collateral, the assets, all that stuff, but then also making sure that the messaging and the voice carries throughout your company, past past your your marketing team, past your sales team. Christian Klepp 05:16 Yeah, that’s absolutely right. I mean, I like to tell people that all of these things that you mentioned, especially the visual aspect, the the sexy part of it, right, like the the visual identity, the logo, the web design and all that. It’s the end result. It’s one of the outcomes of right branding, right? JoAnne Gritter 05:16 That doesn’t come out of a vacuum, right? You don’t show a designer that’s like, I’m super excited about the color red, so we’re gonna do it’s what do our customers, current customers, feel about us, and what do we want our prospective customers to feel about us? And then there’s a lot of strategy behind that. Christian Klepp 05:16 That’s right, that’s right. I’m gonna move on to the topic of key pitfalls to avoid. So what are some of these key pitfalls that B2B Marketing Teams should avoid, and what should they do instead? JoAnne Gritter 05:16 So pitfalls that I see is companies teams that get really excited about certain trends. I’m just going to pick on Tiktok. There’s time and a place for Tiktok, but like, for B2B, they’re like, oh, man, everybody’s on Tiktok, or this latest, you know, social media platform, channel, we really got to get on there. It’s or we got to use AI in some specific way without, like, thinking about the strategy behind that and just like going forward, because you know that that’s the hottest trend right now. So always make sure it ladders up to where your customers are and what you want them to think about you. If you’re a B2B company, it’s likely that your customers are more on LinkedIn than they are on Tiktok. That’s just an example. I can’t say that across the board, but like picking picking things that are always centered on on your customer and your brand are super important. So that’s a pitfall, and then what to do about it? Also treating the brand as a one time exercise, like set it and forget it, kind of thing. A lot of people are just like, Okay, we did the brand. We got a great logo, we got stationery, we even got PowerPoints that are branded and then never think about it again, except for, like, just the, you know, the colors and the logo on all of your media assets, right? So, but the brand is so much more than that. The brand is so much about, like, how you want them to feel, what the differentiators are, what makes you different, what you deliver and like, how you talk about it, how you position yourself. So like, every bit, every asset that goes out the door, should be aligned to that there should be almost a hierarchy. Christian Klepp 05:16 Yeah, no, exactly, exactly. And I’m gonna throw another follow up question at you, only because I know you can handle you can handle it. You probably hear this a lot, and you hear this a lot, most likely also from marketing teams that perhaps don’t have as much experience in the branding space as you do, and they say things like, JoAnne, you know, we’re looking at our company, and we feel that, you know, the overall look and feel and the direction, it’s not really in line with what we aspire to be. So we’re looking for a revamp. And then, and then, as the conversation progresses, they say, Oh, actually, we want maybe, maybe just a refresh, right? And then you hear another prospect say, Well, you know, we just merged the two companies. So like, what do we do there? So maybe just, just to, again, clear the air, so people don’t throw around these terms so recklessly, what actually is the difference between a brand refresh, a brand revamp, and branding as a result of a merger, Speaker 1 06:02 like a brand like from scratch, is going to take a lot of different kind of research efforts than like a brand refresh. Like, if you’re doing a brand refresh, then you’re looking at assets that already exist, you know, and and you’re looking at reasons why they might change or are no longer working. So you’re doing more. Of an audit kind of thing, like, what’s different now than it was 20 years ago when we created this brand, and where are we going? Their new leadership? Are they focused on different parts of this like even even DDM, the marketing agency that I work with or that I work for. We, every once in a while, look at our brand, and not just the visuals, but like the things that make us unique. And we say, hey, those are still unique, but we’re talking about them slightly differently now. So we need to take a look at that and change the messaging a little bit. We’re heading in a slightly different direction lately with our creative so let’s, let’s make sure that we’re still in line, so that everything, everything matches. And if they see us on Instagram versus if they see us on LinkedIn or on our website, that it still looks like ABM, you know, and then a merger is slightly different, because you’re putting together two brands, and a lot of times they’re creating a new brand from that, or they might keep one of the brands and then just bring another like, you know, Company X is now a, you know, Company Y brand. And there might be, like a sub. There’s all kinds of different ways hierarchies of brands in that kind of scenario. But more recent one that we did, they created a new brand, which was a combination of the two names, and they completely they went through the whole exercise with the new leadership team. So it’s more similar to like starting from scratch, but also taking bits and pieces that they want to keep from both brands and what’s working. So you kind of look at what clients from both brands like about those brands, and make sure that you keep those and you preserve those, and make sure that it’s it’s heading in the direction that the company wants to go a lot of discovery and research and questions, Christian Klepp 06:16 Absolutely, absolutely. And I love that you keep bringing that up, though, because that is, again, one of these components that people tend to overlook, that this comes with a lot of research. It’s not, as you said, it’s not okay. Here’s the brief. Graphic designers or design team have at it. JoAnne Gritter 17:07 Right? Christian Klepp 17:07 Come up with something, something else, great, right? Yeah, my favorite briefs are always the ones that said we want something modern, clean, yet traditional and exciting. It’s like, JoAnne Gritter 17:17 Oh yes, creative. Make it creative, splashy mean to you? Christian Klepp 17:25 Yeah, yeah, open to interpretation, I suppose. Why do you believe that inconsistent messaging and internal misalignment cost organizations credibility and dollars? And you did touch on it earlier on the conversation. JoAnne Gritter 17:41 It’s a misalignment of what you say versus what you do. If you have on your website that you are there to serve X population and that you are like your mission and purpose in in this world is to support that population in in achieving whatever goal, whatever needs that that population needs, but then that customer or population that comes and interacts with your brand does not get that from the people or get that from their experience with your product. Then then that’s a misalignment, and that creates, you know, instant distrust, like you are not following through on, on what your brand promise was, or if you have multiple people saying they’re promising different things and they don’t get that, that’s a lack of trust. Christian Klepp 18:27 I’m kind of slightly grinning here, although I know that anyone who’s been in this situation probably will not see any humor in it, but like, I’m just thinking about anyone that’s experienced a flight delay, JoAnne Gritter 18:37 right, Christian Klepp 18:39 or been trapped at the airport, and whichever airline it is you’re flying with, and you have to deal with ground staff that are either unprofessional and rude or you just have zero transparency. And I’m sure, like, I’ve certainly gone through it like I’ve experienced a 10, 12 hour flight delay, right where I was at the airport until like, one or two in the morning, and then they finally come and say, well, the plane’s not coming. JoAnne Gritter 19:04 Yeah, that really rocks the brand reputation. I also see that in health care a lot, which, God bless everybody in health care, it’s hard, but like, if all those services are disjointed and the scheduling gives you a different feeling than the doctor gives and trying to do things online, it doesn’t match what your experience is in person. People don’t want to go to that provider anymore. You know, they’re like, this is confusing. I just want help. Just want to get what you’re promising. Christian Klepp 19:35 It’s a very for lack of a description of fragmented ecosystem. JoAnne Gritter 19:39 Yeah, absolutely. And that’s a bigger issue than we can solve here, but Christian Klepp 19:43 Yeah, no amount of branding is going to fix that. JoAnne Gritter 19:47 You got to follow through on it. Christian Klepp 19:49 That’s absolutely right. That’s absolutely right. Talk to us about how aligning, and you’ve touched on it briefly, how aligning soul and action will help to build. Trust, loyalty and resilience and please provide examples where relevant. JoAnne Gritter 20:04 Let me think of an example. We work with a very large medical device manufacturer, and we’ve worked with them for 15, probably close to 20 years now. And so 15 years ago, they were very product centric. They also grow by acquisition. So they have, like several different companies that came in under this master global brand. And even though they have the same logo, they still had their own kind of visual identity. They all talked about their stuff differently. And as a result of that, in those different teams, the customers were getting wildly different experiences from this company, even though they were all under the same master company. So they rebranded. We helped them rebrand seven years ago, maybe, and this is a global organization where they brought all their business units under the same brand. They have a very strict, robust brand now. And I’m not saying that everybody needs 100 page brand guidelines. They don’t, but, like they they went all in on branding, and they make all their new employees do their brand training. It’s worked in through their onboarding. It’s worked in through their like, performance conversations, and they have just really exploded and created this, this amazing reputation as a leader. Christian Klepp 21:25 I’m sorry you’re talking about, you’re talking about real branding, then JoAnne Gritter 21:27 Real branding. Yes, they are now a leader in their industry. I mean, they were big before, but they have just really exploded in the last seven years since rebranding, and it’s been really helpful for them, because now they still grow by acquisition, but they bring in a new company, and they know what the process is to get them on board, not just from a visual identity, like rebranding all the collateral, like the sales enablement and stuff like that, but bringing the internal teams up to speed about like, what what we stand for, what we hire, like, what kind of values we Look for, so that every customer gets the same experience Christian Klepp 22:04 from your experience. How did that exercise of helping them to re brand and take all of this because, you know, there’s that situation of taking all the business units and putting them under one roof, so to speak. How did that exercise help to improve them as an organization. JoAnne Gritter 22:22 It’s been a long time, like in multiple phases. So it improves their organization. It creates a lot of clarity for them. So they’re not like redoing each other’s work, and they’re not all creating the same or they’re they’re not all creating from scratch anymore. They have a they have a similar starting point on, like, the different messaging pillars that they need to hit, even for just their products, you know. So this goes into product messaging and product launch. So like, if they are medical device, they are they want to sell, you know, knee replacements or or stuff along those lines, they know that they need to hit on a couple core values, and they need to make sure that they are targeting the same audience, and that they need to make sure that they that what they’re saying out there aligns with the master brand. Of course, there’s they still need to do the differentiators on the product level, but they also have the full brand that that supports it. So it’s just a higher level like reputation. I like to, I like to compare like branding to your reputation. So that goes along with every product that they bring in. Christian Klepp 23:32 Yeah, no, absolutely, absolutely. Okay, we get to the part in the conversation. We’re talking about actionable tips. And you’ve, you’ve actually given us quite a bit already, but if we were to summarize it, okay, JoAnne, like, if there was somebody out if there was somebody out there that was listening to this conversation, and they were listening to what you were saying, and they were like, oh my goodness, this is exactly what we’re going through right now, right? I mean, besides contacting you, right, what are like three to five things that you would recommend they do right now to realign for long term growth using brand strategy, JoAnne Gritter 24:10 I would take a look at what brand strategy you already have, if you have one otherwise kind of creating at least the bones of that. Like, what are our values? What are we focused on? What is our purpose here and mission? And then, like, what are messaging pillars or groups that align with those values? And then once you have those making sure that you have a succinct narrative or story, or even, like an elevator pitch, that everybody is aligned on. Having that is kind of a simple, hopefully a simple thing for you to figure out and align on, and then auditing the customer journey for those promises and values. So like, if you have a customer journey, they’re going from, you know, awareness of you. Or a problem to consideration between you and your company, and, you know, multiple other companies, and then you’re they’re making a decision, then they’re purchasing, then they’re hopefully your customer experience, and your delivery teams are delivering on those promises, and then you’re creating loyalty. So that’s the customer journey. So of these phases are, they are the customers still experiencing the brand that you want them to experience. So that’s like a little audit that you can do. And then from there, also making sure that all of your content that’s out there, from your like your brochures, your website, your sales enablement kind of stuff, making sure that that’s still aligned to the brand and the message that that you want it to and then making sure that, of course, throughout the company, in your like, HR documentation, you’re, I’ve said onboarding a million times, but like, making sure that everybody that’s coming into your organization understands who you are and who you who you serve, and why? Christian Klepp 26:01 Absolutely, absolutely. And that’s a really good list. And I have to ask you this question, because you know, at the time of the recording, we’re at the end of 2025, and you did bring up AI, so I’m going to bring it up again. How, how has in your experience, from what you’re seeing out there, how has AI impacted brand strategy and all the work that comes along with that. JoAnne Gritter 26:24 Well, that’s a loaded question, right? So as far as brand strategy, I kind of see it. AI can be used as a tool. It should not replace thinking and actually talking to your customers and your employees and your sales team. So you can use AI as a crutch to to, like, ask it for ideas, idea generation. You can use it for deep research on your on your audience, and stuff like that. But nothing replaces the gold standard of talking to people. So like, the the best resources from that research perspective are your customers, or your prospective customers and your sales team, if you can’t get to those customers, will often hear those like, you know, positive and negatives about your products and services. So getting to those and aligning on stakeholders, AI can be used as you know, you can use it to help think of ideas for like, let me think if you were thinking of like values, like core values, like in and messaging pillars, you can say, hey, you know, I really want it to be something along these lines. We’re circling around on like, exactly right the what the right way to phrase this is. And it can give you 50 different ideas, and you can cross out 45 of them and then land on like the top five that you communicate with your team. Don’t ever take it for rate for like per vatum, sorry, exactly as chat GPT gives you, Christian Klepp 27:55 at face value. JoAnne Gritter 27:57 Thank you. I see that that is a lot harder for early career individuals because they don’t have that discernment yet. So they, they will, they will use it as a crutch, and then, like, oftentimes not have that same kind of editing expertise to see what actually works and what doesn’t. So like pairing AI as a tool with with human intelligence and empathy, for sure, Christian Klepp 28:23 Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, at least in from my observation, and this is where I think AI really falls flat, especially when you’re coming up with the verbal expression component of brand strategy. AI doesn’t really have any soul or character, like everything, it turns out, is very, for lack of a better description, lifeless, so, and that’s where the human element, or to your point, the human intervention, can then come into play, because then you can inject that story, you can inject that human emotion, which also is a very crucial component in B2B, right? As much as people like to say, oh, B2B is all factual, right? And I would, I would disagree with that, JoAnne Gritter 29:06 yeah, it’s, it’s quality over quantity. Now, you know people, people can spot, can spot the AI generated content, and there can be a whole bunch of it, and that can help you in a variety of ways. But if it’s not actually, if it doesn’t sound human speaking or human human sounding, then, then people reject it and they don’t trust it as much. Christian Klepp 29:28 Okay, get up on your soapbox a status quo that you passionately disagree with, and why? JoAnne Gritter 29:37 I passionately disagree with data only marketing. So the big push for data driven marketing, I am, I am on board with that at face value, but it still doesn’t tell the whole story, because you can still look at data from, let’s say you did like a. Um, a focus group about about what customers want from a like a beverage or something. I’m thinking of Coca Cola, and they and they say that they they want it to be healthy. They want it to be low sugar. They want it to taste amazing. They want it to make them, you know, feel great, and stuff like that that does not you’re gonna try to create like this Frankenstein kind of soda instead, instead of recognizing that, like, there’s more psychology to this. Like a Coca Cola has, like, a whole traditional, like branding kind of way that, or traditional and emotional way that they make people feel, and that doesn’t show up in the data, necessarily. That doesn’t show up in the performance data. You know that that is a totally different kind of research too. Christian Klepp 30:51 Yeah, yeah, JoAnne Gritter 30:55 You know, that’s performance, marketing and branding. Christian Klepp 30:58 I totally agree. I totally agree that, as much as there is a big camp out there that says the future is data driven now when it comes to B2B Marketing, and I’m like, Yeah, JoAnne Gritter 31:11 humans are tricky. Christian Klepp 31:13 We’re not robots. Absolutely, absolutely, okay, here comes the bonus question. So Rumor has it that you like to draw. JoAnne Gritter 31:23 I do. Christian Klepp 31:24 Yes, and from one enthusiastic sketcher to another, I thought, I thought deep and hard about this question. Tell us about one of the most well exciting, yes, but more importantly, one of the most challenging works that you’ve created to date. So what was the theme and subject? What made it so challenging to draw, and what did you learn from that experience when you when you completed it? JoAnne Gritter 31:50 I really like to find, like, kind of micro moments I have. I have three children at home, and I like to take pictures, or, like, capture, like small moments of, like one of them snuggling the cat, or like holding hands or doing something unexpected. And in, like, not a macro view, but in a micro view of like, the different connections that people have. And then, usually, I’ll take a picture, and then I will sketch those out after they go to sleep and stuff like that. And that’s just kind of my own personal way to, I don’t know it’s it’s therapeutic. It’s a way to see, see the beauty in the world, you know, and to slow down in the moment. Christian Klepp 32:37 100%. I like to call it Balsam for the soul. JoAnne Gritter 32:40 Yeah, Christian Klepp 32:40 all right, I don’t know about you, but like, I like to sketch in the in this very room where we’re doing the recording, and I usually play classical music. So like, show pen, so something like, with with piano. Like, no opera, because that can get a bit too dramatic. JoAnne Gritter 32:59 I like classical too, when, when I’m focused at classical music, and I also like binaural beats, or it’s more like meditation kind of music. So kind of zone, zone into the moment, instead of all the crazy thoughts that go through your head and all the things you have to do. Christian Klepp 33:17 Very nice, very nice. One of the things I learned about drawing is pretty much like certain aspects of our professional work, you know, like marketing and branding. It starts with a line, and then you just keep adding the layers, right? And it’s almost the same like when you’re implementing a campaign, you know, some especially nowadays, right? You try to start small first, and do a lot of testing to see if it works. And you scale from there. And I like to, I like to think of drawings that way too. You start, you start not by adding the details. You start like, you know, with a lighter pencil. And there’s a certain, there’s a certain way of holding the pencil tool, right, so you have lesser control. And just, it’s just a bit free flowing. And for me personally, it took me a long time to start drawing like that, because I’m like, No, then I don’t have control of the process. But that’s kind of the point, right? Let go of the perfectionism, right? JoAnne Gritter 34:18 You outline it first, and then you start filling in. You know that the shadows and the light marks, and then you slowly bring in the detail. I mean, that you’re totally right, that that is like a marketing or branding strategy. You got to outline it first before you go fully in on any specific detail. Otherwise, you’re you may be way off target. Christian Klepp 34:38 That’s it. That’s it. I mean, JoAnne like I think we just found our next podcast interview topic. But thank you so much for coming on and for sharing your expertise and experience with the listeners. So please a quick introduction to yourself and how people out they can get in touch with you. JoAnne Gritter 34:57 JoAnne Gritter, I’m at DDM Marketing and Communications headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. And I am COO, Vice President of our company. You can get a hold of me at joanneg@teamddm.com or you can just check us out at Teamddm.com Christian Klepp 35:18 Fantastic, fantastic. And we will be sure to like drop all those links in the show notes. So once again, JoAnne, thanks so much for your time. Take care, stay safe and talk to you soon. JoAnne Gritter 35:27 Thanks, Christian. Bye. Christian Klepp 35:29 Bye, for now you.
Summary of How to scale a world class culture in your franchise: Want to know how to franchise a business and maintain world-class culture across thousands of locations? Discover the exact franchise growth strategies that took Anytime Fitness from a single 24-hour gym concept to the #1 fitness franchise in the world—with over 4,000 employees sporting brand tattoos (and they're not even corporate employees). In this episode of the Customer Service Revolution podcast, John DiJulius interviews Dave Mortensen, co-founder of Purpose Brands—the largest portfolio of fitness, nutrition, and wellness franchise brands generating $3.7 billion in combined revenue across 7,000 locations in 50 countries. If you're a franchisor struggling with culture consistency, a business owner wondering if franchising is right for you, or a multi-unit franchise operator looking to scale, this conversation reveals the counterintuitive secrets behind building a franchise system so powerful that franchisees' employees willingly get brand tattoos. What You'll Learn: The "Fanchise" model: How to turn franchisees into fans who are emotionally invested in your brand's mission (not just the ROI)—the framework from Dave's new bestselling book Fanchise Your Franchise The 5-location rule: Why you should NEVER start franchising until you've proven the concept across multiple company-owned locations (Dave and Chuck owned/flipped 5 gyms before franchising) The franchise validation process: How rigorous franchisee selection prevents 99% of future culture problems—"We want franchisees who want to change lives, not just make money" Scalable culture systems: The exact playbooks, standards, and training that allow 7,000 locations to deliver consistent experiences without Dave being present The PLEASE standards: How borrowing customer experience frameworks from consultants like John DiJulius transformed their service culture into an actionable system The tattoo test: When 4,000+ people tattoo your brand on their bodies by choice, you've transcended transactional franchising—here's how to create that level of loyalty Dave Mortensen's Franchise Journey: Phase 1: The Consultant Era (Early Career) Started in fitness at 21, dropped out of college, worked his way up Met business partner Chuck Runyon on similar trajectory Started consulting firm helping gym owners with operations, sales, and member experience Traveled across US, Canada, Australia, Mexico working with big box and boutique gyms Key insight: "People were passionate about fitness but didn't know how to run the business—Chuck and I could drive results AND write it down" Phase 2: The Operator Era (1995-2002) Bought first gym in 1995—the same gym where Dave worked front desk for $4/hour Grew it from 400 to 4,000 members, then sold it Started buying, remodeling, and flipping gyms successfully Owned 5 locations simultaneously at peak Key insight: "We said we need to start SHOWING people we know how to do it, not just telling them" Phase 3: The Franchise Era (2002-Present) Opened first Anytime Fitness in 2002 with revolutionary 24/7 model Kept consulting firm and big box gym for 3 years, then sold everything to focus on Anytime Sold franchise #1 to a member who believed in the concept Today: Co-founder of Purpose Brands with 9 franchise brands across 50 countries Key insight: "We didn't just franchise a business model—we franchised a mission to change lives" The Purpose Brands Portfolio: 9 Franchise Brands Under One Umbrella: Anytime Fitness (World's #1 fitness franchise) Orangetheory Fitness The Bar Method Waxing the City Base Camp Fitness SUMHIIT Fitness Stronger U Nutrition Healthy Contributions Provision Security Total System Stats: $3.7 billion combined revenue 7,000+ locations 50 countries 6 million members served 4,000+ brand tattoos (just Anytime Fitness) The Franchise Culture Paradox Explained: The Problem Most Franchisors Face: "I opened my salon 33 years ago and we were great at customer service because 50% of our staff was me and my wife. Then we grew to multiple locations and the experience tanked because we weren't everywhere." - John DiJulius How Purpose Brands Solved It: Dave reveals the systems that allow franchisees' employees (not even corporate employees) to line up around the building to get brand tattoos at annual conferences—in the US, New Zealand, Australia, and beyond. Critical Franchising Insights: "You don't franchise a business—you franchise a mission" The difference between transactional franchising (buy a territory, make money) and transformational franchising (join a movement, change lives) "Find the 36-inch travel between talent and passion" Dave's framework for helping franchisees discover if they're in the right business—it's never 100% talent or 100% passion, but finding the balance point "We want franchisees who want to change lives, not just make money" The franchisee selection criteria that predicts long-term success better than net worth "Relationships create who we are—you are one of 50-100 that shaped our business" Why Dave credits consultants, mentors, and partners for Purpose Brands' success (including John DiJulius for helping create the PLEASE service standards) "Create availability for people to find you—it makes it easier to make an impact" Leadership philosophy on accessibility that translates to franchise support systems When to Franchise Your Business (Dave's Criteria): ✓ Proven unit economics across multiple locations (not just one lucky store) ✓ Replicable systems that someone else can execute without you ✓ Mission-driven model that attracts passionate operators, not just investors ✓ Scalable training that maintains culture as you grow ✓ Clear standards documented in playbooks (the "write it down" principle) Franchise Growth Strategies That Work: 1. The Consulting-to-Ownership Bridge Dave and Chuck consulted for years before owning, which taught them what works across different markets and models 2. The Flip-and-Learn Model Buying, improving, and selling gyms taught them rapid value creation and what levers drive results 3. The Mission-First Sale First franchise sold to a member who believed in the concept—not a business investor looking for ROI 4. The Playbook Obsession "Write it down"—documenting every procedure so franchisees can execute at scale 5. The Partner Selection Dave: passionate about fitness + talent in business Chuck: passionate about business + talent in operations Perfect complement creates unstoppable partnership For Corporate/Non-Franchise Businesses: Question to Dave: "Does someone have to be in the franchise world to engage you? Could KeyBank or another corporate entity learn from you?" Dave's Answer: "Absolutely. Anyone that wants to develop a culture that is scalable—that they can scale within their system—is something we can be a part of." Translation: The principles that allow 7,000 franchise locations to maintain culture work just as well for corporate multi-location businesses, distributed teams, or any organization struggling with consistency at scale. New Book: Fanchise Your Franchise Third book from Dave Mortensen and Chuck Runyon Core Concept: Transform franchisees from transactional business owners into passionate fans who champion your mission Who Should Read It: Franchisors with 10-100 locations struggling to maintain culture Business owners considering franchising but unsure if they're ready Multi-unit operators wanting to improve franchisee engagement Corporate leaders looking to scale culture across distributed locations Anyone building a business that needs to maintain standards without being everywhere Where to Get It: 4PGuys.com (the "4P Guys"—Dave and Chuck's consulting/speaking platform) Perfect For: Franchisors wanting to scale culture beyond 100 locations Business owners evaluating if franchising is the right growth strategy Multi-unit franchise operators looking to improve unit consistency Fitness/wellness entrepreneurs specifically in gym, boutique fitness, nutrition spaces Corporate leaders of multi-location businesses struggling with "employee roulette" CEOs who want to understand why some franchise systems thrive while others implode Key Quotes from Dave Mortensen: Franchising vs Corporate Growth: "We didn't just franchise a business model—we franchised a mission to change lives. That's why their employees get tattoos, not ours." Franchisee Selection: "We want franchisees who want to change lives, not just make money. If you're only in it for ROI, you won't survive the hard times." Talent vs Passion: "You'll never be 100% talented at what you're most passionate about, and vice versa. But when you find the 36-inch travel between the two, you just found your career." Scalable Leadership: "Chuck and I were absolutely different. Chuck was passionate about the business. I was passionate about fitness. That's what made us unstoppable together." Helping Others: "If I can help people find what I've been lucky to have—an incredible business partner, a thriving business, a great family—that's my passion now." Resources Mentioned: Book: Fanchise Your Franchise by Dave Mortensen & Chuck Runyon Website: 4PGuys.com (consulting, speaking, franchise advisory) Purpose Brands Portfolio: 9 franchise brands across fitness, nutrition, wellness, security Previous Books: (Two prior books from Dave & Chuck on franchising/business building) Tactical Takeaways: For Businesses Considering Franchising: Don't franchise until you've proven the model across 3-5 locations minimum Document every system in written playbooks before selling franchise #1 Select franchisees based on mission alignment, not just capital For Existing Franchisors: Audit: Are you franchising a mission or just a business model? Ask: Would franchisees' employees tattoo your brand? If not, why not? Implement: Customer service standards as action words (like Purpose Brands' PLEASE framework) For Corporate Multi-Location Leaders: Steal the franchise playbook approach even if you're not franchising Create "write it down" culture so anyone can execute without you present Hire the Dave/Chuck complement—balance technical passion with business acumen Why This Matters: Most franchisors struggle to maintain culture past 50 locations. Purpose Brands maintains it across 7,000 locations in 50 countries—and has franchisees' employees tattooing the brand voluntarily. The difference? They don't franchise businesses. They franchise missions. They don't sell territories. They recruit believers. They don't manage franchisees. They empower fans. This interview reveals the exact systems, mindsets, and frameworks that create "Fanchises" instead of franchises. Ready to franchise your business the right way—or scale your existing franchise culture? This episode is your playbook. Links: Fanchise Your Franchise, The Book: fanchiseyourfranchise.com Contact Dave at 4PGuys.com Purpose Brands: https://www.purposebrands.com/ The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors: tdg.click/claudia Ask John! Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode: tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts: Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Purpose Brands and Dave Mortensen 04:11 The Journey of Anytime Fitness 09:35 Building a Franchise System 14:14 Defining Culture and Values 18:46 Connecting Head and Heart in Leadership 21:26 The Entrepreneur vs. Franchisee Mindset 25:42 Benefits of the Franchise Model 26:03 Building a Consistent Franchise System 26:57 The Evolution of Franchise Partnerships 27:31 Defining a Franchise: Passion and Purpose 29:27 The Importance of Emotional Investment in Business 30:44 Identifying the Right People for Your Business 31:28 Key Traits for Successful Team Members 34:06 The Three Golden Rules of Partnership 37:44 Leading Through Crisis: Lessons Learned 46:14 Finding Passion vs. Skill in Business 50:23 Helping Others Create Their Franchise Success Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.
Pressure at work feels higher than ever. Change is constant, expectations are relentless, and leaders are often told they simply need to be more “resilient”. But what if resilience isn't about coping, endurance, or pushing through at all? In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by Russell Harvey, often known as "The Resilience Coach", to explore a far more human take on resilience. One that places leadership behaviour and the manager–employee relationship right at the centre of the conversation. Russell reframes resilience as springing forward with learning, not bouncing back to how things used to be. Together, they unpack why people's experience of pressure and change is shaped far less by big organisational strategies and far more by how their line manager shows up day-to-day. They discuss what resilient leadership actually looks like in practice, why “shut up and move on” cultures are so damaging, and how optimism, grounded firmly in reality, can help people face difficult situations without pretending everything is fine. If you care about performance, wellbeing, and creating workplaces where people can genuinely say “I'm okay”, this conversation is a powerful reminder that resilience starts with relationships. ----more---- Key Takeaways Resilience isn't coping, it's learning. Russell reframes resilience as springing forward with learning, not enduring more or bouncing back to how things used to be. Leadership behaviour shapes resilience more than strategy. People experience pressure and change through how their manager shows up day-to-day, not through lofty organisational initiatives. Line managers aren't responsible for other people's happiness, but they hugely influence it. An individual's ability to say “I'm okay” at work is strongly shaped by the quality of their relationship with their manager. Optimism is a leadership skill, not forced positivity. Grounded, realistic optimism helps people face hard truths without slipping into denial or despair. ----more---- Key Moments The key moments in this episode are: 0:01:16 – Pressure, burnout and why resilience gets misunderstood 0:02:57 – Why managers shape how work really feels 0:09:27 – Defining resilience as springing forward with learning 0:12:01 – The three things resilient leaders are responsible for 0:14:25 – The disproportionate power of the line manager relationship 0:18:00 – Optimism vs toxic positivity 0:22:43 – Recovery, resilience and the danger of “shut up and move on” 0:26:18 – How personal resilience gives leaders the confidence to challenge upwards 0:30:00 – Why resilience shouldn't feel like ‘one more thing to do' 0:36:40 – How resilience builds the confidence to challenge unsustainable systems 0:41:45 – Sustainable work practices as a leadership responsibility 0:47:08 – Russell Harvey's Sticky Notes ----more---- Join The Conversation Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here Follow the Podcast on Instagram here Follow the Podcast on Twitter here Follow the Podcast on Facebook here Check out the Bizjuicer website here Get a free consultation with Andy here Check out the Bizjuicer blog here Download the podcast here ----more---- Useful Links Follow Russell Harvey on LinkedIn here Find the Russell's website here ----more---- Full Episode Transcript Get the full transcript of the episode here
Sexual health and wellness aren't just about pleasure; they are a critical health marker revealing what's happening inside your body. If you've noticed changes in your libido, you're receiving valuable information about your overall wellness. Are you ready to decode what your body is telling you?Host Jenn Trepeck welcomes Dr. Diane Mueller, a leading authority in sexual wellness and functional medicine, to explore why your libido is a health marker you can't afford to ignore. Together, they uncover the connections between sexual desire, cardiovascular health, hormonal balance, and stress management, while addressing the physical, personal, and relational barriers that impact your intimate wellness.What You Will Learn in This Episode:✅ Why sexual health serves as a critical health marker revealing underlying imbalances in your cardiovascular system, hormones, and neurological function✅ How oxytocin is released during intimacy provides powerful stress relief by lowering cortisol levels and supporting bone health, brain health, and connection✅ The three pillars of low libido root causes: physical factors like pelvic floor health and blood flow, personal barriers including body image and shame, and relational communication challenges✅ Practical interventions including specific supplements like citrulline for nitric oxide production, proper testing for thyroid health including reverse T3, and movement practices for embodimentThe Salad With a Side of Fries podcast, hosted by Jenn Trepeck, explores real-life wellness and weight-loss topics, debunking myths, misinformation, and flawed science surrounding nutrition and the food industry. Let's dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Libido as a health marker and why sexual wellness impacts overall well-being and longevity04:04 Defining healthy libido and why medical definitions of hypoactive sexual desire disorder are inadequate08:33 The connection between relationship health, weekly intimacy frequency, and happiness quotients in partnerships09:44 Understanding oxytocin levels during orgasm versus cuddling and the profound impact on stress management14:13 Advice for single individuals on self-pleasure, the Lioness device, and building body confidence independently18:47 Why testosterone alone doesn't solve low libido and the multiple root causes requiring comprehensive approaches25:21 Physical root causes, including pelvic floor health, blood flow, thyroid function, and neurological inflammation34:43 Supplementation strategies using citrulline, nitric oxide precursors, magnesium, and VEGF enhancement through movement37:43 Personal barriers around body image and shame processing through embodied movement and sensual dance practices46:14 Relational communication in the bedroom and how 92% of satisfying sex lives involve open dialogueKEY TAKEAWAYS:
Did you know that visiting a museum can lower your cortisol levels? Or that singing can bond a group faster than almost any other activity? We tend to think of the arts as entertainment, but science tells a different story. Today, we explore why creativity is hardwired into our biology and how it can be used to treat everything from postnatal depression to stroke recovery.Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author ofArt Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(4:14) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(9:01) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(15:30) The Chemistry of Connection. Why singing evolved before language and how it accelerates group bonding(20:32) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(25:57) The Professional Paradox: Balancing the wellbeing benefits of art with the pressures of a creative career(30:03) Predictive Coding & Play: Why the human brain needs improvisation and why we shouldn't outsource creativity to AI(33:26) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy usedsinging to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(37:55) World Health Organization, Public Policy & Social Prescribing(46:04) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(58:17) Finding Artistic Reverence in Nature Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
"Within society, we seem to have separated the arts out, so they're not so much a part of our daily lives. Often there's something that we feel we should do as a kind of leisure activity or hobby if we have enough time or if we have enough money to engage in them. And this is so fundamentally different to how humans engaged with the arts. When we look back thousands of years, it just was part of the everyday, and I feel like that's a major loss within contemporary societies."Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author ofArt Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(1:17) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy used singing to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(2:47) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(5:23) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(8:58) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(12:42) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(18:24) Safeguarding Creativity. Why we should use AI for routine tasks but protect the human joy of the creative processEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
Did you know that visiting a museum can lower your cortisol levels? Or that singing can bond a group faster than almost any other activity? We tend to think of the arts as entertainment, but science tells a different story. Today, we explore why creativity is hardwired into our biology and how it can be used to treat everything from postnatal depression to stroke recovery.Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author of Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(4:14) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(9:01) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(15:30) The Chemistry of Connection. Why singing evolved before language and how it accelerates group bonding(20:32) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(25:57) The Professional Paradox: Balancing the wellbeing benefits of art with the pressures of a creative career(30:03) Predictive Coding & Play: Why the human brain needs improvisation and why we shouldn't outsource creativity to AI(33:26) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy usedsinging to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(37:55) World Health Organization, Public Policy & Social Prescribing(46:04) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(58:17) Finding Artistic Reverence in Nature Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
"Within society, we seem to have separated the arts out, so they're not so much a part of our daily lives. Often there's something that we feel we should do as a kind of leisure activity or hobby if we have enough time or if we have enough money to engage in them. And this is so fundamentally different to how humans engaged with the arts. When we look back thousands of years, it just was part of the everyday, and I feel like that's a major loss within contemporary societies."Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author ofArt Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(1:17) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy used singing to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(2:47) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(5:23) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(8:58) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(12:42) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(18:24) Safeguarding Creativity. Why we should use AI for routine tasks but protect the human joy of the creative processEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
"Within society, we seem to have separated the arts out, so they're not so much a part of our daily lives. Often there's something that we feel we should do as a kind of leisure activity or hobby if we have enough time or if we have enough money to engage in them. And this is so fundamentally different to how humans engaged with the arts. When we look back thousands of years, it just was part of the everyday, and I feel like that's a major loss within contemporary societies."Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author ofArt Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(1:17) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy used singing to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(2:47) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(5:23) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(8:58) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(12:42) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(18:24) Safeguarding Creativity. Why we should use AI for routine tasks but protect the human joy of the creative processEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
Did you know that visiting a museum can lower your cortisol levels? Or that singing can bond a group faster than almost any other activity? We tend to think of the arts as entertainment, but science tells a different story. Today, we explore why creativity is hardwired into our biology and how it can be used to treat everything from postnatal depression to stroke recovery.Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author of Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(4:14) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(9:01) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(15:30) The Chemistry of Connection. Why singing evolved before language and how it accelerates group bonding(20:32) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(25:57) The Professional Paradox: Balancing the wellbeing benefits of art with the pressures of a creative career(30:03) Predictive Coding & Play: Why the human brain needs improvisation and why we shouldn't outsource creativity to AI(33:26) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy usedsinging to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(37:55) World Health Organization, Public Policy & Social Prescribing(46:04) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(58:17) Finding Artistic Reverence in Nature Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
"Within society, we seem to have separated the arts out, so they're not so much a part of our daily lives. Often there's something that we feel we should do as a kind of leisure activity or hobby if we have enough time or if we have enough money to engage in them. And this is so fundamentally different to how humans engaged with the arts. When we look back thousands of years, it just was part of the everyday, and I feel like that's a major loss within contemporary societies."Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author ofArt Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(1:17) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy used singing to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(2:47) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(5:23) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(8:58) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(12:42) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(18:24) Safeguarding Creativity. Why we should use AI for routine tasks but protect the human joy of the creative processEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
Did you know that visiting a museum can lower your cortisol levels? Or that singing can bond a group faster than almost any other activity? We tend to think of the arts as entertainment, but science tells a different story. Today, we explore why creativity is hardwired into our biology and how it can be used to treat everything from postnatal depression to stroke recovery.Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author of Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(4:14) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(9:01) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(15:30) The Chemistry of Connection. Why singing evolved before language and how it accelerates group bonding(20:32) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(25:57) The Professional Paradox: Balancing the wellbeing benefits of art with the pressures of a creative career(30:03) Predictive Coding & Play: Why the human brain needs improvisation and why we shouldn't outsource creativity to AI(33:26) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy usedsinging to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(37:55) World Health Organization, Public Policy & Social Prescribing(46:04) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(58:17) Finding Artistic Reverence in Nature Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
"Within society, we seem to have separated the arts out, so they're not so much a part of our daily lives. Often there's something that we feel we should do as a kind of leisure activity or hobby if we have enough time or if we have enough money to engage in them. And this is so fundamentally different to how humans engaged with the arts. When we look back thousands of years, it just was part of the everyday, and I feel like that's a major loss within contemporary societies."Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author ofArt Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(1:17) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy used singing to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(2:47) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(5:23) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(8:58) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(12:42) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(18:24) Safeguarding Creativity. Why we should use AI for routine tasks but protect the human joy of the creative processEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
The Creative Process in 10 minutes or less · Arts, Culture & Society
"Within society, we seem to have separated the arts out, so they're not so much a part of our daily lives. Often there's something that we feel we should do as a kind of leisure activity or hobby if we have enough time or if we have enough money to engage in them. And this is so fundamentally different to how humans engaged with the arts. When we look back thousands of years, it just was part of the everyday, and I feel like that's a major loss within contemporary societies."Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author ofArt Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(1:17) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy used singing to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(2:47) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(5:23) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(8:58) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(12:42) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(18:24) Safeguarding Creativity. Why we should use AI for routine tasks but protect the human joy of the creative processEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
What if the American Revolution was never just an American story? Historian Ronald Angelo Johnson helps us uncover the deep connections between the American and Haitian Revolutions to reveal how both revolutions emerged from the same Atlantic imperial struggle for empire, racialized power, and war. Using details from his book Entangled Alliances, Ron will guide us from the Treaty of Paris in 1763 to the Siege of Savannah in 1779, where hundreds of Black soldiers from French Saint Domingue landed on Georgia's shores—not as enslaved laborers, but as uniformed volunteers ready to fight for American Independence. Ron's Website | Book |Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/433 EPISODE OUTLINE00:00:00 Introduction00:01:08 Episode Overview00:04:50 The Treaty of Paris 1763 and its Impact00:09:09 Consequences of the Seven Years' War for Saint Domingue00:18:39 Saint Domingue Society Post-Seven Years' War00:24:32 French Imperial Reaction vs. Local Resentment00:28:36 Circulation of News Between British North America & Saint Domingue00:39:22 France's Strategy to Assist American Revolutionaries00:50:42 Reception of the Chasseurs Volontaires Regiment in Georgia00:54:42 Re-evaluating the American Revolution00:57:32 Time Warp01:05:38 ConclusionRECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES
Most podcast guests treat interviews like one-and-done exposure, then wonder why nothing materialises from it. This is the wrong mindset and a big missed opportunity! In this episode, Jason Barnard shares a simple 10-step generative engine optimization workflow to help hosts and AI search assistants actually recognize and recommend you. Learn how to claim, frame, and prove your expertise so each appearance drives lasting results. Get ready to turn every guest spot into a real return on investment!MORE FROM THIS EPISODE: HTTPS://PODMATCH.COM/EP/370Chapters00:00 Introduction to Podcast Guesting and AI Influence02:21 Defining Your Brand and Credibility05:13 Building Your Online Presence07:38 Understanding AI Assistive Engines10:54 Leveraging AI for Podcast Guesting SuccessTakeawaysPodcast guesting is a powerful strategy for personal branding.AI assistive engines are the new influencers.Defining your brand is crucial for effective communication.Building a personal website amplifies your online presence.Consistency across your digital footprint is key to success.Engaging with AI can enhance your visibility in search results.Claiming, framing, and proving your expertise is essential.Updating past podcast appearances can improve your credibility.AI engines operate as recommendation systems now.Patience is required for long-term digital strategy success.MORE FROM THIS EPISODE: HTTPS://PODMATCH.COM/EP/370
Sponsored By: → Timeline | Support your cells and how you age with Mitopure® Gummies from Timeline. Visit https://timeline.com/DRG and save up to 39% off your Mitopure® Gummies. → Puori | Go to https://puori.com/DRG and use the code DRG at checkout to get 32% off your first Puori Creatine+ subscription order. → My one stop shop for quality supplements: https://theswellscore.com/pages/drg Episode Description What if your childhood trauma isn't just stored in your mind, but written into the very structure of your nervous system—and the key to healing it lies in the language your body speaks before words? Dr. Andrea McBeth is a somatic psychotherapist who has spent decades mapping the territory where psychology meets the body's innate intelligence. She's discovered that our earliest experiences—especially birth trauma and pre-verbal attachment wounds—create patterns in our nervous system that dictate how we respond to stress, intimacy, and life itself. But here's what makes her work revolutionary: she's developed methods to access and reorganize these patterns by working directly with the body's somatic intelligence, bypassing the limitations of talk therapy alone. This episode reveals why your birth experience may have encoded a default stress response you've carried for decades, how the nervous system can be trained to complete defensive responses that were frozen in childhood, and why some healing only happens when we stop trying to think our way through it. Discover: • The somatic blueprint: how birth trauma and early attachment experiences create nervous system patterns that run automatically beneath conscious awareness for your entire life • The completion principle: why unfinished defensive responses (fight, flight, freeze) from childhood stay locked in the body and how to safely complete them decades later • The co-regulation foundation: how healing relational trauma requires another nervous system to help regulate yours, and why you can't think your way into feeling safe Find Dr. Andrea McBeth: Website: https://thaena.com/ Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 5:43 - What is Fecal Transplant & Why It Works 10:42 - Defining a "Healthy Donor" for Gut Health 16:03 - The Hidden Antibiotics in Your Food 21:01 - Why Your Microbiome Is More Resilient Than You Think 25:41 - Can Antibiotics Cause Autoimmune Disease? 28:03 - The Gut-Nervous System-Immune Triangle 32:00 - How Childhood Trauma Disrupts Your Gut 37:05 - Regenerative Farming Meets Your Microbiome 40:22 - Postbiotics: The Language Your Gut Speaks 45:58 - Dr. Andrea's Personal Gut Health Protocol Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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